Vakifbank Istanbul qualified for the Final Four of the Champions League after eliminating E-Work Busto Arsizio Milano with a 3:2 (25:22, 16:25, 25:16, 23:25, 15:12) victory in the return leg of the quarter-final playoff. The Turkish team advances with two wins, having also won the first match in Italy with a 3:2 score.
The match in Istanbul offered a full dose of tension. The guests from Milano managed to force the match into a tie-break, and in the decisive set, they even led by 11:10. However, a comeback followed ", the hosts equalized, took the initiative, and closed the match after 15:12.
Bulgarian interest was focused on Alex Nikolov's presence in the hall. The national team player used the break after Lube's success in the quarter-final playoff against Trentino to travel to Istanbul and watch the match live. As it has already become clear, he maintains close relations with Milano's Serbian middle blocker Hena Kurtagic. Nikolov was accompanied in the hall by French national player Jean Patry.
The top scorer in Italy did not go unnoticed by the fans, and after the match, they surrounded him for photos. He was accompanied by another Bulgarian national player, Georgi Tatarov, who currently plays for Galatasaray. Nikolov was accompanied by his Lube teammate Giovanni Gargiulo, and they were joined by their former teammate Petar Dirlic, who now plays in Turkey.
Individually for Vakifbank, Marina Markova was the most effective scorer with 23 points and an impressive 6 blocks. Tiana Boskovic added 17, Chiaka Ogbogu finished with 12, and Zehra Gunes scored 10 points.
For Milano, Paola Egonu also scored 23 points, Rebecca Piva added 13, Hena Kurtagic finished with 11, and Kaliya Liner contributed 10, but this was not enough for success.
Team Statistics
| Category | Vakifbank | Milano |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 13 | 13 |
| Attack Efficiency | 40% | 41% |
| Attack Points | 54 | 58 |
| Positive Reception | 49% | 42% |
| Aces | 5 | 2 |
| Service Errors | 8 | 15 |
| Points from Opponent's Errors | 32 | 27 |
Despite the similarity in blocks and the minimal difference in attack, Vakifbank made the difference in key elements ", better reception and significantly fewer service errors. Additionally, the Turkish team extracted more points from opponent's errors, which proved crucial in the evenly matched clash.
In the tie-break, the hosts showed a stronger mentality ", they scored a crucial block and a direct service point (ace), while limiting their own errors, which tipped the scales in their favor.
With this success, Vakifbank secured a place in the Final Four tournament in Istanbul, where the semi-finals and final of the competition will be played. There, Giovanni Guidetti's team will face Conegliano in the semi-final. In the other semi-final, Eczacibasi and Scandicci will face each other.
