Italian men’s SuperLega Credem Banca action continues this weekend with the six matches of the 13th leg of the regular season – two on Saturday, December 21, and four on Sunday, December 22. In one of the weekend’s highlights, fourth-placed Cucine Lube Civitanova will host sixth-placed Allianz Milan.
Superlega 2024/25
Allianz to challenge Lube in weekend’s SuperLega highlight
Watch the Italian SuperLega matches live on VBTV
Published 06:22, 20 Dec 2024
- Watch the SuperLega on VBTV.
Cucine Lube Civitanova will resume their participation in Italy’s domestic championship after returning from their appearance at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship, where they finished in fourth place, and winning a home match in Europe’s CEV Challenge Cup to qualify for the quarterfinals, with a home game against last season’s SuperLega bronze medallists Allianz Milan. The match starts at 18:00 local time (17:00 UTC) on Sunday. Lube are in fourth place on 23 points and a 7-4 win-loss record, with a game in hand. Allianz are sixth in the current standings on 21 and 7-5. They also arrive in Civitanova after competing internationally, winning a home game of the CEV Champions League earlier this week.
Lube lead the all-time head-to-head series against Allianz by 20 to 7 in wins. However, when they last met in October’s second-leg match, the hosts from Milan celebrated a convincing straight-set victory.
“Now we must concentrate on facing Milan in the best possible way. It will be a very important match for us.” Eric Loeppky, outside hitter of Cucine Lube Civitanova
The competition weekend will open on Saturday at 18:00 (17:00) with a game between Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza and Mint Vero Volley Monza. The hosts from Piacenza stand in third place on 23 and 8-4, while last season’s silver medallists Vero Volley now stand second from the bottom, in 11th place on 7 and 3-9.
Also on Saturday, at 20:30 (19:30), Cisterna Volley host Rana Verona. The home team is seventh in the table on 15 and 5-6 with a game in hand, while the visitors from Verona are fifth on 22 and 7-5.
Sunday’s SuperLiga programme starts at 17:00 (16:00) with Gioiella Prisma Taranto welcoming Itas Trentino Trento. After conceding three losses in a row, Prisma will challenge their powerful visitors in an effort to stay far from the threat of relegation. They are now in 10th place on 10 and 3-9. Meanwhile, the reigning European champions also return from competing at the Club World Championship in Brazil, where they earned silver last Sunday. Despite a home loss in the CEV Cup on Thursday, they advanced to the eighthfinals of Europe’s second-tier club competition. In the SuperLega table, Trentino stand second on 27 and 9-2.
Defending Italian champions and table leaders Sir Susa Vim Perugia will try to extend their impressive winning streak as they entertain Sonepar Padova Padua on Sunday at 18:00 (16:00). The Block Devils have not lost a single game since April and their victorious run now counts 20 wins in official matches across all competitions. 12 of those account for their 32 points and 12-0 win-loss record on top of the current SuperLega standings. Padova, on the other hand, are on a four-game losing streak and occupy ninth place on 10 and 3-8.
In the 13th leg’s closing match, Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina will welcome Valsa Group Modena at 19:00 (18:00) on Sunday. Inspired by their historic first top-division win last Sunday in Monza, the SuperLega rookies will now try to achieve their first victory in front of the home fans and get a little closer to salvation. They still trail bottom in 12th place on 5 and 1-11. After two consecutive losses that brought them down to eighth place on 15 and 5-7, Modena will also try to get back on the winning track.
SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 13th leg:
Dec 21, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza v Mint Vero Volley Monza
Dec 21, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Rana Verona
Dec 22, 17:00 local (16:00 UTC): Gioiella Prisma Taranto v Itas Trentino Trento
Dec 22, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Cucine Lube Civitanova v Allianz Milan
Dec 22, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Sir Susa Vim Perugia v Sonepar Padova Padua
Dec 22, 19:00 local (18:00 UTC): Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina v Valsa Group Modena
