Superlega 2024/25 - News.

Allianz v Modena (source: legavolley.it)

The last match of the Italian SuperLega Credem Banca season is coming up on Saturday. The top four in the final standings are already known, but who will take the coveted fifth place and a ticket to next season’s continental competitions will be determined in a direct clash between Valsa Group Modena and Allianz Milan.

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After going through a six-team race in the fifth-place playoffs, Valsa Group Modena and last season’s bronze medalists Allianz Milan will lock horns in the ultimate game for a spot in Europe’s CEV Challenge Cup. The duel will be staged at the iconic Panini hall in Modena on May 10, starting at 17:30 local time (15:30 UTC).

Both teams persevered through five-set semifinals last Saturday to reach this fifth-place final. At the same Panini hall, the squad around legendary Argentinean playmaker Luciano De Cecco outlasted Sonepar Padova Padua to claim a 3-2 (22-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11) win, while also playing at home in Milan, mighty Matey Kaziyski and his teammates knocked out Rana Verona to celebrate a 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 20-25, 15-11) victory.

Modena and Allianz have met three times so far this season and the visitors always emerged victorious. During the regular season, Allianz took a four-set victory at Modena in December and Modena mastered a straight-set win at Allianz in March. They also met last month in Milan in the round-robin phase of the fifth-place playoffs and the visitors hammered out a solid shutout. Historically, they have met 32 times in SuperLega fixtures, with Allianz leading the head-to-head by 23-9. The first time a fifth-place final was organized back in 2021, it featured these same two teams, but it was played in Milan and Modena won it in four sets.

“It's a place we didn't want to be in, but it's the place we deserve. We prepared the game well, both tactically and mentally, and there are all the ingredients to put in a good performance. It's time to focus on giving our all and facing the match in the best possible way. Milan are an experienced team with strong players in key roles. They finished ahead of us in the regular season standings, so I expect a difficult match.” Alberto Giuliani, head coach of Valsa Group Modena
“The last match represents a very important milestone, a place in Europe. We will do everything we can to go and get it. In these fifth-place playoffs, we had a tough start, but we were able to recover in the best way, stringing together a series of four consecutive victories. We will go to the Panini to give all the energy we have, to win and bring home the qualification to the Challenge Cup, which would be the best gift for our club and our fans.” Tommaso Barotto, opposite of Allianz Milan

SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 fifth-place final playoff:
May 10, 17:30 local (15:30 UTC): Valsa Group Modena v Allianz Milan