Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia took another step towards defending its European club title after snatching a difficult 3:2 (25:23, 25:19, 21:25, 23:25, 15:13) away victory against Guaguas Las Palmas in the first quarter-final of the Champions League, in a match that nearly became the first success for the Spaniards against this opponent in the tournament.
The Italian team took a 2:0 lead in sets, but the hosts showed character and came back into the match, led by Osmany Juantorena (14 pts), Wallison (20 pts), and Spencer (15 pts).

In the tie-break, Perugia showed stronger nerves and closed out the match. Ben Tara was outstanding for the winners with 28 points, followed by Plotnytskyi (20), Russo (14), and Semeniuk (13), who was also key in reception, and his block in the tie-break proved crucial for the turnaround. The Pole grabbed the MVP award for the match.

Bulgarian setter Dobromir Dimitrov was unable to participate in the match for the hosts.
The match leaves the question of qualification open before the return leg in Perugia, as Guaguas once again showed they are an extremely uncomfortable opponent. Nevertheless, it is more likely that the current European champion will advance to the Final Four in Turin.
Already in the group stage, the Spaniards were close to a home victory but lost 2:3, which earned them a point, while in Italy, Perugia won 3:1. This time too, the scenario in the Canary Islands was repeated – another tie-break and another success for the Italians, with the difference being that in elimination rounds, such an outcome does not bring significant dividends for the hosts.

photos:cev.eu