Champions League: Trento destroy Berlin to take last ticket for semifinals (but lose setter Sbertoli)

There will be an Italian team in the Men’s Champions League Super Final on May 5th, ad the verdict comes from the ilT Quotidiano Arena, where the hosts Trentino Itas easily obtains last ticket for semifinals against Germany’s Berlin Recycling Volleys to reach Cucine Lube Civitanova in an all-Italian semi-final.
Dominant in the first leg in Germany, a week ago, the players around head coach Fabio Soli also repeat themselves in the second leg and immediately secures the passage of the round with two sets led from start to finish, and then closes the match in straight sets too, partially 25:19, 25:20 and 25:22.
This is a great return among the top 4 for Trento after the two finals played in 2021 and 2022, but the only negative note is the injury suffered by Riccardo Sbertoli at 23-21 of first set, forced to give way to Alessandro Acquarone: the Italian setter suffered a compound fracture of the proximal phalanx of the little finger of his left hand, and recovery times still to be evaluated.
Despite the heavy absence of Thimotee Carle, the Germans began by pushing hard from the service line, putting the home reception in difficulty. However Trento replied with a very solid attack, led by an excellent Kamil Rychlicki (10 points through 53%) and Alessandro Michieletto (9 with 54% without errors). The Trentino block is also decisive with 8 points from this element, all in the first two sets, 2 of them were scored by back-up setter Acquarone, a surprise protagonist just as his role colleague Jakob Thelle in yesterday with his Lube.
For the third set Soli used all his entire bench, which responds brilliantly, above all opposite Gabriele Nelli, who scored 6 points through 67% in attack.

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🏆| 2023/24 CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | Quarterfinals

FIRST LEG

Wednesday February 21, 2024
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Halkbank Ankara (TUR) – Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) 1-3 (21:25, 21:25, 27:25, 22:25)
📍TVF Ziraat Bankkart Volleyball Hall Ankara / A
• 19.30 (Local Time) | Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) – Trentino Itas (ITA) 0-3 (18:25, 17:25, 17:25)
📍Max-Schmeling-Halle Berlin
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Gas Sales Daiko Piacenza (ITA) – Jastrzębski Węgiel (POL) 3-2 (19:25, 30:28, 25:16, 22:25, 15:11)
📍PalaBanca Piacenza
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

Thursday February 22, 2024
• 18.30 (Local Time) | Guaguas Las Palmas (ESP) – Ziraat Bankkart Ankara (TUR) 1-3 (25:17, 23:25, 21:25, 23:25)
📍Centro Insular de Deportes Las Palmas

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SECOND LEG

Wednesday February 28, 2024
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Jastrzębski Węgiel (POL) – Gas Sales Daiko Piacenza (ITA) 3-0 (25:22, 26:24, 25:21)
📍Hala Widowiskowo – Sportowa Jastrzebie Zdroj
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Ziraat Bankkart Ankara (TUR) – Guaguas Las Palmas (ESP) 0-3 (17:25, 21:25, 18:25) GOLDEN SET: 15-7
📍TVF Ziraat Bankkart Volleyball Hall Ankara / A
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) – Halkbank Ankara (TUR) 3-1 (25:23, 20:25, 25:15, 25:23)
📍Eurosuole Forum Civitanova Marche

👉🏼Thursday February 29, 2024
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Trentino Itas (ITA) – Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) 3-0 (25:19, 25:20, 25:22)
📍ilT quotidiano Arena Trento