Superlega 2023

Top clash on Sunday: Trentino v Sir

Watch the 10th leg of Italian SuperLega matches live on VBTV

Published 04:14, 15 Dec 2023

Sir against Trentino in October’s Supercoppa semifinal (source: legavolley.it)

Sir against Trentino in October’s Supercoppa semifinal

A direct duel for the top of the current standings in the 2023-2024 SuperLega Credem Banca between reigning Italian champions Itas Trentino Trento and reigning club world champions Sir Susa Vim Perugia is undoubtedly the big highlight of the 10th leg this weekend.

  • Watch Italy’s SuperLega Credem Banca live and on demand on VBTV.

Just a week after suffering their first SuperLega defeat of the season, second-placed Trentino will host table leaders Sir, who defended their title at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship in India at the same time. The match is on Sunday, December 17, starting at 15:45 local time (14:45 UTC) at an already sold-out ilT quotidiano Arena in Trento.

The two sides are on an 8-1 win-loss record each. However, the team from Perugia has already collected 24 points and stands two points clear of Trentino on top of the standings. A 3-0 or 3-1 win for Marco Podrascanin, Alessandro Michieletto and their teammates would propel them to the top, while any other result would keep Oleh Plotnytskyi, Simone Giannelli and the rest of Sir’s star-studded squad in pole position.

Since losing their SuperLega five-setter at Cucine Lube Civitanova in early November, Sir have been on a 10-match winning streak between the Italian league and the Club World Championship. Last week’s loss at Valsa Group Modena, on the other hand, put an end to Trentino’s eight-game winning run between the SuperLega and the CEV Champions League. They have already bounced back with a sweep of their visit to Poland’s Asseco Resovia Rsezsow on Wednesday, when Daniele Lavia led the scorers with 16 points towards a 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-20) shutout.

The most recent encounter between Trentino and Sir took place in Biella on October 31 in a Supercoppa Italiana semifinal. A day before their triumph with the trophy, the Block Devils defeated the champions in four sets on a 23-point match high from Tunisian opposite Wassim Ben Tara. That was Sir’s fifth consecutive victory over Trentino within a total count of 29 wins in 52 matches played between the two clubs.

“We are perfectly aware of the difficulties of the match and the strength of the opponents. These are beautiful matches to experience and play. Let's go to Trento and hunt for some points.” Massimo Colaci, libero of Sir Susa Vim Perugia

Sunday’s programme offers one more big clash between two teams near the top of the table. Third-placed Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza, currently on 6-3 and 20 points, welcome fifth-placed Cucine Lube Civitanova, on 6-3 and 16, at 16:00 (15:00), with both teams arriving from midweek wins in the Champions League. Lube have won eight of the nine encounters with Gas Sales so far. The most recent one was in the other Supercoppa Italiana semifinal on October 31, when Bulgarian rising star Aleksandar Nikolov hammered out 17 points towards a straight-set win over the opponents from Piacenza.

“The calendar is demanding, but we adapt and give everything. Tough commitments await us such as Sunday's away match in Piacenza. We are very keen to have our say in the Italian Cup. Every Lube athlete tries to give his all in the matches. To date, however, we have not demonstrated in the championship that we are a top team, as our fifth place says. We won important games, but we left points along the way that absolutely needed to be taken. Opponents must be given due credit, but we are the primary authors of our missteps. We are working to progress and raise the level, we train well, and now we have to put into practice everything we know how to do.” Luciano De Cecco, setter of Cucine Lube Civitanova

The 10th leg will start on Saturday at 18:00 (17:00), when bottom-of-the-table Farmitalia Catania (1-8, 3) entertain sixth-placed Valsa Group Modena (6-3, 15).

Sunday’s programme continues with seventh-placed Allianz Milan (4-5, 14) hosting 11th-placed Gioiella Prisma Taranto (0-9, 5) at 16:30 (15:30). The SuperLega weekend will finish with two games at 18:00 (17:00). In one of them, fourth-placed Mint Vero Volley Monza (6-3, 17) welcome eighth-placed Pallavolo Padova Padua (4-5, 10), and in the other, ninth-placed Rana Verona (3-6, 9) entertain 10th-placed Cisterna Volley (2-7, 7).

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024 10th leg:
Dec 16, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Farmitalia Catania v Valsa Group Modena
Dec 17, 15:45 local (14:45 UTC): Itas Trentino Trento v Sir Susa Vim Perugia
Dec 17, 16:00 local (15:00 UTC): Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza v Cucine Lube Civitanova
Dec 17, 16:30 local (15:30 UTC): Allianz Milan v Gioiella Prisma Taranto
Dec 17, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Mint Vero Volley Monza v Pallavolo Padova Padua
Dec 17, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Rana Verona v Cisterna Volley

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024: full schedule and results

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