Two extremely dramatic matches and two 3:2 victories for Olympiacos marked the clash between the Greek and Portuguese giants in the 1/32 finals of the women's Challenge Cup. In the Bulgarian duel, Maria Krivoshiyska ended up on the winning side against Alexandra Saykova.
In the return leg in Lisbon, Olympiacos defeated Benfica 3:2 (22:25, 25:23, 22:25, 28:26, 18:16), after twice trailing in sets.
The Portuguese team had its opportunities to bring back intrigue to the elimination. The hosts took a 1:0 lead, and after equalizing, again took a 2:1 advantage. The fourth set offered a contested finish, in which Olympiacos prevailed 28:26 and sent the match to a tie-break.
The decisive fifth set also went through serious tension. Benfica led 10:7 and 12:10, but the Greek team managed to catch up and snatch the victory 18:16.
Bulgarian international Maria Krivoshiyska started as a middle blocker for Olympiacos and recorded 5 points – 3 from attack, 1 ace, and 1 block.
For Benfica, Alexandra Saykova came into play as a substitute in the third set and remained on the court for the next two parts. The Bulgarian middle blocker failed to score a point.
The standout player in the match was Olympiacos' American opposite Taylor Bannister, who finished with an impressive 32 points, of which 30 were from attack, 1 ace, and 1 block. For Benfica, Beatriz Santos scored 29 points, and Gabriela Guimaraes added 19.
The Greek team had superiority in attack – 75 points scored against 59 for Benfica, with 42% efficiency against 34%. Both teams finished with 7 successful blocks each, while the Portuguese team had an advantage in aces – 7 against 5.
In the first match in Piraeus, Olympiacos also won 3:2 (16:25, 23:25, 25:15, 25:22, 15:10), after trailing 0:2 in sets. Thus, the Greek giant advances with two victories, and Benfica concludes its European participation. In the next round, Olympiacos will face the Dutch team Apollo 8, which eliminated Levski (Sofia). The first match is scheduled for November 24.

photo:cev.eu