Modena next to challenge Perugia in Italian SuperLega

As many as 17 different teams have already unsuccessfully tried to stop Sir Safety Susa Perugia in the 2022-2023 club season and Valsa Group Modena are the next in line as the two sides prepare for an exciting SuperLega Credem Banca matchup this weekend.

The duel between the two giants will take place on Sunday, January 22, at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT), and is expected to be the most exciting of the six Italian League matches set to take place this weekend.

• Watch all SuperLega Credem Banca matches live or on demand on Volleyball TV.

Leading the SuperLega with 15 wins in as many matches, Perugia are yet to lose in the 2022-2023 club season. The team coached by Andrea Anastasi have already won the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship and the Italian Supercoppa, and remain undefeated after 27 encounters. Their most recent triumph was a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21) victory against Pallavolo Padova in the Italian League on Sunday.

The encounter at the end of the week will be Modena’s second chance in the season to defeat Perugia. When the teams met in the first half of the Italian League, in November, the reigning world champions were dominant, prevailing in three sets to secure their third-straight win against their opponents.

Modena, however, look better equipped to upset Perugia now than they were two months ago. Before their 3-1 loss to Allianz Milano on Sunday, they were undefeated in their last five matches – with their most recent upset being against Perugia. Their strong run moved them all the way up to second place in the standings.

Modena are also one of just a few teams that have enough star power to challenge Perugia. With a squad that features the likes of French outside hitter Earvin Ngapeth, Brazilian setter Bruno Rezende, Turkish opposite Adis Lagumdzija, Italian libero Salvatore Rossini and Serbian middle blocker Dragan Stankovic, the team coached by Adrian Giani features some of the top players on the planet.

Olympic champions Ngapeth and Bruno are the heart and soul of the Modena team. Their leadership and individual brilliance are both key and the two veterans are used to taking leading roles in matches like this weekend's.

A new signing for the season, Lagumdzija has exceeded expectations in his first months with Modena. The 23-year-old Turkish player immediately became an offensive force for the team and is one of the most effective players in the entire league.

After last weekend’s matches, Lagumdziija ranks second in both points (270) and kills (239) in the SuperLega rankings. He has reached double digits in scoring in each of his 15 matches and tallied 20+ points on eight occasions.

Veteran libero Rossini, 36, has also been offering a steady presence on the backcourt for Modena. A Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist, the defender sits at the top of the serve-receive charts, with 94 perfect passes so far.

If all of Modena's stars are in a good day, they could push Perugia to their limit and confirm they are a real threat to their title aspirations.

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