Challenge Cup: other 5 teams to quarterfinals – 3 of them after a Golden Set!

After Italy’s Allianz Milano, who eliminated Crvena Zvezda Beograd from Serbia with a double straight sets win, other five games progressed to quarterfinals of 2025/26 CEV Challege Cup, three of them solved only at Golden Set.
After a tie break home win in first leg, Sport Lisboa e Benfica from Portugal suffered a defeat with the same result in Türkiye, against the hosts Altekma SK Izmir, 3-2 (19:25, 25:19, 25:20, 22:25, 15:11). The winners, who played an impressive performance in blocking with as many as 20 points from this element, almost a whole set, compared to the 6 of the visiting side, were led in score by an excellent Ibrahim Lawani, who left the court with 29 points through 60% in attack and 4 blocks, well supported by Jordan Ewert who added 21. The Turkish side, eventually, won also decisive Golden Set with the minimum gap, 15-13, to claim a well-deserved ticket to quarterfinals.
Golden Set also between Romania’s SCM Zalau and Volley Näfels, with the home team who took a strong revenge after a straight sets defeat in Switzerland in first leg. And they did it by winning today’s game with the same result, 3-0 (25:21, 25:19, 25:22), also taking decisive Golden Set 15-11 without major problems. Rene Teppan top-scored the winners (and rhe match) with 18 points, through 57% in attack and 3 of his team’s 9 aces.
If yesterday, also at Chaumont’s Palestra, the French hosts Chaumont VB 52 down Maccabi Tel-Aviv in four sets, today the team from Israel took revenge with a clean 3-0 (25:22, 25:22, 25:18) sweep, then winning also Golden Set 19-17 with 22 points from Salvador Hidalgo Oliva, 17 from Viacheslav Batchkala 67% in attack and 7 of his team’s 13 winning blocks), 15 from Yordan Bisset Astengo and 11 from Adam Bartos. Joshua Marty with 14 points top-scored Chaumont, who wasted a 12-9 lead in a Golden Set that they led
from the very beginning.
After a tie break win in first leg in Slovakia, and after losing first set in second leg in Czech Republic, VK Slovan Bratislava down the rivals Dukla Liberec with the score of 1-3 (25:21, 20:25, 22:25, 24:26), eliminating them from the competition, starting from second set without major problems. Five players led the winners in attack, leaving the court in double digit, with Peter Mlynarcik who led the charge with 18 points, Michal Trubac who added 15, Tomas Krisko and Andrej Billich who also contributed with 13 apiece, and Patrik Marjov who added 12.
The last team of the day who will progress to quarterfinals is Belgium’s Lindemans Aalst.
Taking advantage from a four sets win in Estonia in first leg, they needed two sets to claim their ticket, and they did it despite 2-3 (25:27, 25:15, 25:22, 25:27, 9:15) home defeat against Bigbank Tartu.
With 14 winning blocks and 26 points from top scorer Enrique Rempel, the home team didn’t win the game, but will progress to the next stage of the competition.

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🏆| 2025/26 CEV Challenge Cup | 1/8 Finals

FIRST LEG

Tuesday January 20, 2026
📍Ustanova Sportski Centar “Voždovac” Belgrade
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Crvena Zvezda Beograd (SRB) – Allianz Milano (ITA) 0-3 (16:25, 23:25, 18:25)

Wednesday January 21, 2026
📍Sports Hall University of Tartu
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Bigbank Tartu (EST) – Lindemans Aalst (BEL) 1-3 (25:18, 23:25, 22:25, 22:25)
📍Polideportivo Nou Moles Valencia
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Conqueridor Valencia (ESP) – Norwid Czestochowa (POL) 0-3 (20:25, 22:25, 22:25)
📍Sports Hall Benfica Lisboa – Pavilhão n.º2
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) – Altekma SK Izmir (TUR) 3-2 (23:25, 26:28, 26:24, 25:19, 15:12)
📍Sport Hall Gopass Arena Bratislava
• 19.30 (Local Time) | VK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) – Dukla Liberec (CZE) 3-2 (25:17, 17:25, 21:25, 25:21, 15:11)
📍Linth Arena Näfels
• 19.30 (Local Time) | Volley Näfels (SUI) – SCM Zalau (ROU) 3-0 (25:22, 25:21, 25:17)

Thursday January 22, 2026
📍Dvorana Tabor Maribor
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Epicentr-Podolyany Horodok (UKR) – PAOK Thessaloniki (GRE) 0-3 (18:25, 21:25, 19:25)

Tuesday January 27, 2026
📍Palestra Chaumont
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) – Chaumont VB 52 (FRA) 1-3 (15:25, 25:21, 20:25, 20:25)

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SECOND LEG

Tuesday January 27, 2026
📍Allianz Cloud Milano
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Allianz Milano (ITA) – Crvena Zvezda Beograd (SRB) 3-0 (25:16, 25:14, 25:18)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

👉🏼Wednesday January 28, 2026
📍Atatürk Voleybol Salonu Izmir
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Altekma SK Izmir (TUR) – Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) 3-2 (19:25, 25:19, 25:20, 22:25, 15:11) GOLDEN SET: 15-13
📍Dukla Liberec
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Dukla Liberec (CZE) – VK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) 1-3 (25:21, 20:25, 22:25, 24:26)
📍Sala Sporturilor “Gheorghe Tadici” Zalau
• 18.00 (Local Time) | SCM Zalau (ROU) – Volley Näfels (SUI) 3-0 (25:21, 25:19, 25:22) GOLDEN SET: 15-11
📍Palestra Chaumont
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) – Chaumont VB 52 (FRA) 3-0 (25:22, 25:22, 25:18) GOLDEN SET: 19-17
📍Sportcentrum Schotte Aalst
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Lindemans Aalst (BEL) – Bigbank Tartu (EST) 2-3 (25:27, 25:15, 25:22, 25:27, 9:15)

Thursday January 29, 2026
📍PAOK Palace Sport Thessaloniki
• 18.00 (Local Time) | PAOK Thessaloniki (GRE) – Epicentr-Podolyany Horodok (UKR) 2-3 (21:25, 25:21, 25:21, 23:25, 7:15)
📍HSC Czestochowa
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Norwid Czestochowa (POL) – Conqueridor Valencia (ESP) 3-0 (25:18, 30:28, 27:25)

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