Trentino Itas’ run in the 2023 CEV Champions League will continue in the Playoffs exactly where it left off last January 25 in the group stage, or rather from a match at Grupa Azoty Kedzierzyn-Kozle’s home.
In fact, the two-time reigning European Champions will be the opponents of the yellow and blues in the double round of the quarter-finals, having detached the qualification from the round of 16 tonight at the end of the Polish derby with Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie. For the third edition in a row, the two teams will therefore face each other in the final draw; the first match will be played away, at the Azoty Arena, probably on Wednesday 8 March (date and time to be defined), while the second will be played at the BLM Group Arena on Thursday 16 March at 20.30 (date and time already official). The two Clubs boast a long series of direct comparisons in the European Cups, so much so that Zaksa is by far the foreign team faced by Trentino Volley the most times (twelve previous officials); the duel has already taken place in the group stage of the 2012, 2013 and 2018 editions of the Champions League, in the semi-final of the 2015 CEV Cup and in the SuperFinals of the 2021 (in Verona) and 2022 (in Ljubljana) editions as well as in the group stage of the current tournament. The balance smiles for 7-5 in Trento which, before the two games this season in Pool D (November 29, 3-1 at home and January 25, 3-2 away), had lost the last four direct matches: in addition to the previous in Verona and Slovenia, there are in fact also the matches played on 20 December 2017 in Poland (Zaksa’s only home success) and then on 14 February 2018 at the BLM Group Arena. At the Azoty Arena Trentino Volley also played on 22 December 2011 (victory in tie break), 21 November 2012 (success in four sets) and 24 March 2015 (another victory in five sets).
The team that, over the course of the double confrontation, has obtained the highest number of points in the ranking drawn up on the basis of the two matches in which they are awarded – as for the SuperLega championship – will advance to the semifinals of the tournament – 3 points for a 3-0 victory and 3-1, 2 for a 3-2 win and 1 for a 2-3 loss. The golden set (partial play-off to be played until 15 at the end of the second match) will be played only in case of equal points. Whoever qualifies will face the winner of the quarter-final between Perugia and the winner of Berlin-Ziraat Ankara in the semifinals (double round between 28 March and 6 April).
