Halkbank (Ankara) finished their participation in the Champions League group stage with a 1:3 (25:23, 21:25, 20:25, 19:25) loss to Knack Roeselare. Thus, the Turkish team remained with only one victory – 3:2 against Galatasaray – and is eliminated from the competition, while the Belgian squad qualified for the playoffs.
The match started excellently for Radostin Stoychev's team, who snatched the first set with 25:23. After that, however, the hosts from Roeselare took control – more stable in attack and more effective on serve, they won the next three sets and closed the match after 25:19 in the fourth set.
Scorers with double-digit points
Knack Roeselare
Basil Dermo – 30 points
Oskar Espeland – 22 points
Erik Sixten – 19 points
The Belgians had three players with 10+ points, which ensured a balanced distribution of attack and constant pressure on Halkbank's block.
Halkbank Ankara
Matey Kaziyski – 15 points (3 aces, 1 block, 34% in attack)
Yoandy Leal – 14 points
Marek Sotola – 10 points
Metin Gazi – 10 points
Tayaz Yunus Emre – 10 points
Tsvetan Sokolov finished with 9 points (1 ace, 44% in attack) and remained one step away from a double-digit score.
Final standings in the group
| Place | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bogdanka LUK Lublin | 6 | 6 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | Knack Roeselare | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | Galatasaray HDI Istanbul | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | Halkbank Ankara | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
Halkbank finished last with just 4 points and a negative set ratio (9:17). The lack of consistency and fluctuating performance in key moments practically deprived the Turkish team of real chances to advance. Roeselare, despite a 3-3 balance, demonstrated better efficiency in direct confrontations and deservedly continues to the playoff phase.
Thus, Halkbank's European campaign ended disappointingly – with just one victory and many question marks for Stoichev's project in the tournament.
