In a match from the fifth round of the group stage in the Champions League, Bogdanka LUK Lublin achieved an extremely valuable away victory against Halkbank Ankara with a score of 2:3 (26:24, 16:25, 24:26, 26:24, 11:15). The match had an uneven course and a dramatic outcome, as three sets ended with a difference in points, and the winner was determined only in the tie-break.
The Polish champion showed stronger nerves in the decisive moments and left the Turkish capital with another success, which definitively solidified their leading position in the group.
Thus, Bogdanka continued the trend in this group for matches to be extremely competitive – as many as 7 of the encounters so far have ended in a tie-break, which speaks of a serious level and small differences between the teams.
Enno shone with 26 points, Grozdanov closed the match with an ace against Kaziyski.
The top scorer for the winners was Hilir Enno, who finished with an impressive:
26 points
+16 efficiency rating
4 aces
1 block
64% attack efficiency
He deservedly received the MVP award.
Support in offense also came from the team's big star:
Leon – 21 points
Young – 16 points
The captain of the Bulgarian national team, Alex Grozdanov, also played a particularly strong match, finishing with:
13 points
+12
1 ace
4 blocks
73% attack efficiency
The symbolism was huge - his only ace came at the very end of the match and closed it out, after a poor reception of the serve from Matey Kaziyski.
Kaziyski was above all for Halkbank, but the Turks were left empty-handed
For the hosts, Matey Kaziyski was the leader:
21 points
+12
1 ace
3 blocks
54% positive reception
55% in attack
Tsvetan Sokolov added:
13 points
+8
2 blocks
44% in attack
Leal finished with 16 points, but that was not enough for Halkbank to take more than one point.
Team statistics: Bogdanka dominates in attack and serve
| Indicator | Halkbank | Bogdanka LUK Lublin |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 13 | 12 |
| Attack success rate | 51% | 57% |
| Positive reception | 49% | 46% |
| Aces | 3 | 9 |
| Points from attack | 72 | 88 |
| Total points scored | 103 | 114 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 32 | 26 |
Although Halkbank had a minimal advantage in blocking, the difference in attack and serve proved decisive. Bogdanka achieved 57% in attack and a remarkable 9 aces, which was a huge factor in the key moments. The Turkish team could not compensate for their better reception and ultimately conceded in the most important rallies.
Standings after Round 5
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bogdanka LUK Lublin | 5 | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Knack Roeselare | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Galatasaray Istanbul | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | Halkbank Ankara | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Bogdanka is an undisputed leader with 5 wins from 5 matches and is now confidently looking towards direct qualification. Behind them, the battle for second place remains wide open, while Halkbank is in a difficult position with only one win and just 4 points.
Group B (Round 6) - February 18
Bogdanka LUK Lublin – Galatasaray
Knack Roeselare – Halkbank Ankara
photos:cev.eu
