Last match of the 2023 calendar year and first of the return phase of the Serie A3 Credem Banca championship, Blue group, for ErmGroup San Giustino, who defends second place in the standings from the attacks of Leo Shoes Casarano on the taraflex of the PalaCesari in Cutrofiano. The match, originally scheduled for 8.30pm, has been brought forward to 6pm on Saturday 30 December and compared to the first leg match the biancazzurri will find themselves facing another Leo Shoes, strengthened by the arrival of Giuliani and also fresh from the victory on the Rinascita pitch Lagonegro. The work of technician Fabrizio Licchelli begins to produce the first significant results. Even ErmGroup, however, offered a good demonstration on both a physical and mental level against Smartsystem Fano, as confirmed by Ridas Skuodis, the faithful “soldier” of the team who returned to the band in the basic 6+1 due to the injury of the man who would have been the great ex of the moment: the opposite Simone Marzolla. Between serving, receiving, defending, blocking and attacking, Skuodis’ contribution was once again very valuable: “Last Tuesday was a team victory – declares the player of Lithuanian origin – and we were very excited, as we are in view of Casarano. The result was a performance that was the best of the season, together with the one against league leaders Macerata. As far as I’m concerned, my contribution is above all in the second line fundamentals and then we need to work more on the attack. Now a test of those that count awaits us: Casarano is a very difficult customer, he defends a lot and we bring with us 800 kilometers of road, with over 10 hours of travel.” Second place and 23 points in the standings: a good balance in the middle of the regular season? “Yes, it is clear that we can always do better, but we believe that access to the Italian Cup is already an excellent achievement, which was absolutely not a given, despite the current and important absence of Marzolla, who we hope to recover as soon as possible . The fact that we will start 2024 with three home games in the space of a week, between the championship and the Cup, is already positive; on the return leg, then, we will have to travel fewer kilometers in total for the away games and this could also have its weight in the end”. The starting line-up that will therefore face the Apulians will be the same as the last two matches: Biffi as director, Cappelletti as opposite, Quarta and Bragatto in the centre, Wawrzynczyk and Skuodis on the side and Marra as libero. The match will be directed by the first referee Pierpaolo Di Bari from Fasano and the second referee Fabio Sumeraro from Rome.
