European Cups
Champions League: bitter trip to Siberia
2014 DenizBank Champions League
Result round 4
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 19-25, 25-17)
LOKOMOTIV NOVOSIBIRSK – LUBE BANCA MARCHE MACERATA 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 19-25, 25-17) – LOKOMOTIV NOVOSIBIRSK: Zubkov, Divis 13, Volvich 8, Mysin 2, Kozlov, Moroz 22, Zhilin, Butko 4, Golubev (L), Camejo 9, Astashenkov 6. DNP Sidenko. Coach. Voronkov.
LUBE BANCA MARCHE MACERATA : Henno (L), Parodi 2, Paparoni, Zaytsev 17, Stankovic 9, Kovar 10, Kurek 15, Baranowicz 2, Podrascanin 4. DNP Patriarca, Monopoli, Giombini. Coach. Giuliani.
Macerata was defeated for the first time this season in Europe in Siberia. Novosibrisk ended the Italians’ 10 game winning streak with a 3-1 victory. It had all started bitterly with the first set lost on a poor referee decision: Kurek’s spike was clearly in at 23-24 but called out. Zaytsev was the best for Macerata with 62% in attack and 17 points.
If Kazan was to take all three points in Austria, it would take first place. There are two games and everything to play for.
Alberto Giuliani: “We had a very positive attitude going into this game, we often managed to get their reception away from the net, even if their spikers often sorted things out for them. In the end, the least we can say is that the set finished on a very questionable call. As for the rest of the game, we struggled to receive their serve, I think this is the key to the game. We’re obviously disappointed with the first set, things might have gone differently. But it’s useless to cry over it now, we have to look ahead with confidence, we knew our group was by far the toughest of the competition, and we had said from the beginning that it would all go down to the last round with the set difference which could have a role to play. You’ll see, that’s what’s going to happen, everything is still open and the set won today could turn out to be very important”.
Bartosz Kurek: “We knew we would have had to fight to qualify right until the end. We have two games left and we’re still very confident we can make it”.
Marko Podrascanin: “Shame the first set ended like that. If we’d taken that one we’d have had a good chance to go home with crucial points”.
Standings
POOL E
Standings: Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata 8, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 7, Zenit Kazan 6*, Posojilnica Aich/Dob 0*
*one game in hand
