Champions League: Guaguas Las Palmas down Montpellier in first leg of playoffs

After the victories of Asseco Resovia Rzeszów and Trentino Itas, also Spain’s Guaguas Las Palmas won first leg of 2025/26 CEV Champions League playoffs celebrating a 3-1 (25:15, 23:25, 25:17, 25:22) home win over Montpellier HSC VB from France.
The The reigning Spanish national champions are ‘only’ two sets away from reaching the quarterfinals for the second time in their history after delighting about 2,800 fans on Thursday night over wildcard holders.
For Montpellier, on the other hand, this was the very first appearance in the Playoffs of the CEV Champions League and even though their German opposite Simon Hirsch top scored the game with 21 points, the French side will have to work hard to be able to force a Golden Set next week when they host the second leg on home soil.
In a collective effort for the winners, four players finished the match in double digits, with their usual top scorer Francisco Wallyson Bezerra Souza topping the charts with 18 points, followed by Nicolas Bruno who added 14, Helder Mendes Spencer with 13 and Osmany Juantorena with 11.
Guaguas had a small edge in blocks (7 vs 6) and aces (5 vs 3) as well as in all other areas of the game. However, what made the difference were the (unforced) errors by Montpellier, 32 vs only 18.
Second leg in France next Tuesday, March 10, and the winners will face italian powerhouse and titleholders Perugia!

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🏆| 2025/26 CEV Champions League | Playoffs

FIRST LEG

Wednesday March 4, 2026
📍RCWS Podpromie Rzeszów
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Asseco Resovia Rzeszów (POL) – Knack Roeselare (BEL) 3-0 (25:16, 25:20, 25:18)
📍Torwar Hall COS Warszawa
• 20.30 (Local Time) | PGE Projekt Warzawa (POL) – Trentino Itas (ITA) 2-3 (11:25, 25:17, 25:27, 25:19, 8:15)

👉🏼Thursday March 5, 2026
📍Gran Canaria Arena Las Palmas
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Guaguas Las Palmas (ESP) – Montpellier HSC VB (FRA) 3-1 (25:15, 23:25, 25:17, 25:22)

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SECOND LEG

Tuesday March 10, 2026
📍Palais des Sports Jacques Chaban Delmas Castelnau Le Lez
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Montpellier HSC VB (FRA) – Guaguas Las Palmas (ESP) 3-2 (25:22, 20:25, 25:19, 22:25, 15:11)

Wednesday March 11, 2026
📍ilT quotidiano Arena Trento
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Trentino Itas (ITA) – PGE Projekt Warzawa (POL) 2-3 (23:25, 25:19, 25:19, 21:25, 12:15) GOLDEN SET: 11-15
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

Thursday March 12, 2026
📍Reo Arena Roeselare
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Knack Roeselare (BEL) – Asseco Resovia Rzeszów (POL) 1-3 (23:25, 25:22, 17:25, 21:25)

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