Easter in Abruzzo for Consoli Sferc McDonald’s Brescia, eagerly awaiting their match against Pineto in the Del Monte® Super Cup final. The home team enters the match as Regular Season leaders and fresh off the Coppa Italia, which they won against Prata. This is a first for Pineto, while Brescia is reaching its third consecutive final and is aiming to add to a trophy cabinet that already boasts a trophy.
In the Abruzzo fortress, breached only once this season, by the Tucani in the fiery 2-3 second leg, a thrilling duel will unfold, paving the way for the playoffs, which have never been so close and poised for thrills like this year.
While statistics often mean little in one-off matches, Abba and Consoli’s numbers are excellent and very close, anticipating a match that will be hard-fought for every ball, where home advantage could play a significant role. The Pala S. Maria will be sold out to honor its favorites, who in the second half of the regular season had the best performance after the Tucani and are well-deservedly in contention for promotion to the next division.
Returning to the numbers: Brescia outclasses everyone in terms of aces (208), but Pineto is second with 154, and makes fewer errors from nine meters (363 errors compared to 510). Both teams have the same number of blocks (188). In attack, percentages and efficiency favor Consoli, the leader in the A2 statistics. Abruzzo’s efficiency is better in reception.
Breaking down by role, Filippo Mancini undisputedly leads the playmaking rankings with his 78 aces and 90 attacks, which also earned him the attention of Vincenzo Fanizza’s National Junior Team and a very recent inclusion in the FIVB annual long list!
The middle block is balanced: Trillini, Zamagni, Tondo, and Berger all score within a handful of points, a perfect snapshot of what promises to be a very close duel. The opposing team favors Lucconi, who is more efficient than Krauchuk, but who, however, has more serves and blocks. The points are essentially even on the wings, where the offensive performance of the Di Silvestre-Allik and Cavuto-Cominetti pairs is slightly in favor of Brescia. The difference lies in the margin for errors, slightly higher on the Pineto side, but the technical prowess of the two contenders is extremely close. The approach to the match will be crucial among the cards to play, along with consistency on serve and composure, necessary for long rallies, for which it is best to prepare.
