Roma are currently the first team above the playoff qualification line, ranking eighth, with 27 points (nine wins). In order to make it to the playoffs in just their second season in the country’s elite, the team from the Italian capital will need to keep the good results coming until the end of the regular season and that includes stopping Casalmaggiore’s current strong run of form when the teams meet on Saturday at 20:30 local time (19:30 GMT).
The team from Northern Italy was fighting against relegation until mid-January, but changed their plans after getting five wins in their last six matches, including a huge four-set victory over Igor Gorgonzola Novara last weekend, and now are very much in the mix for a playoff spot, ranking tenth with 23 points (seven wins).
Roma are also in a good moment of their own, getting to this weekend’s encounter in a three-match winning streak – before that, they dropped seven consecutive games and saw their chances of competing in the postseason at risk.
“These are two teams fighting for a spot in the playoffs and it’s going to be a very tough match,” Roma’s middle blocker Michela Ciarrocchi commented. “Both sides are coming from good results and I expect a hard-fought match. Playing at home will be huge for us, though, as I think the support of our fans has been one of the reasons for our recent success. We are more determined when we have them behind us and that’s going to be very important for us in this final stretch of the regular season.”
