In an evening that will long be remembered in Piraeus, the women's team of Olympiacos created the first big sensation in this year's Champions League, defeating the Turkish giant Eczacıbaşı 3:2 (21:25, 25:16, 19:25, 26:24, 18:16). Drama until the last point, a thriller with incredible comebacks and huge heart – this is how the match can be described, in which the Greek team shocked one of the strongest clubs in Europe. This happened before the eyes of the elite Bulgarian referee Dobromir Dobrev, who was the first referee of the match.

The absolute hero of the evening was the Italian setter Isabella Di Iulio, who was deservedly chosen as the MVP of the match. She didn't just organize the game – she instilled confidence, accelerated the pace, and in key moments acted like a true leader.

"This is a historic victory because we defeated an exceptional team," said the excited Di Iulio. "We believed we could do more compared to the first match. In this group, every set is golden, and that's how we played – with confidence and faith."

She added: "I am happy for the team. We work hard, and I hope we continue on this path."

Middle blocker Kyriaki Terzoglou was the other key factor for the success. With her 6 blocks, she paralyzed the attack of the Turkish powerhouse.

"In some matches, it's not just tactics that help, but also heart. That's exactly what we did," shared Terzoglou. "This victory is proof of our capabilities. We pushed in the serve, we gave our soul – that's where the match was decided."

Olympiacos head coach, Branko Kovačević, did not hide his pride:
"This is a historic victory against one of the best teams in Europe. The girls believed and fought from start to finish. The goal is to play as well as possible. If we continue in the Champions League – great, if not – we will strongly attack the CEV Cup."

He also shared that Abderrahim had health problems, but the team showed character and depth.

As often happens, Milica Kubura was the leading scorer – a total of 26 points, 37 percent attack efficiency, and two aces. In key moments, she was the player everyone looked to.

Jovana Stevanović also had reason to smile – the victory against her former club held a special flavor. She recorded 9 points, including a total of 5 blocks.

For the Turkish team, Magdalena Stysiak finished with 22 points, and Ebrar Karakurt – with 18.

In the other match of the group, Milano visited Železničar Lajkovac. The Železničar squad includes Bulgarian setter Lora Kitipova and outside hitter Emileta Racheva.

After the second round, both teams – Eczacıbaşı and Olympiacos – have one win and one loss. But one thing is certain: the Greek club showed that they will not be an underdog in this group. Heart, character, aggressive serving, and tight blocking – these were the weapons that brought the historic success.
If Olympiacos continues to play this way, this will not be the last surprise we see from this team.

photos: CEV