One of the most prestigious club tournaments in world volleyball reaches its culminating moment. The final series for the title in the Italian SuperLega starts today at 9:30 PM with the first match between Perugia and Civitanova, which will be played in front of a full house at "PalaBarton Energy".

Sixth classic in the finals

The clash between Sir Susa Vim Perugia and Cucine Lube Civitanova already has the status of a classic. This will be the sixth final between the two teams, making it the most frequent final duel in the history of the Italian playoffs.

The overall balance is extremely even:

• 76 total matches

• 39 wins for Perugia

• 36 wins for Civitanova

Even more interesting – Lube has a psychological advantage in the finals:

• 4 titles against Perugia (2014, 2019, 2021, 2022)

• Perugia won its first title precisely against this opponent (2018)

Rematch and different seasons

The two teams meet again after last season's drama, when Civitanova made a comeback from 0-2 to 3-2 wins in the semifinals.

Perugia – an almost perfect season

• Winner of the World Club Championship

• Winner of the Italian Supercup

• Winner of the regular season

• Finalist with treble ambitions (including the Champions League)

The team is undefeated in the playoffs, having eliminated Monza and Piacenza.

Civitanova – from inconsistencies to the final

• Finished only 6th in the regular season

• Eliminated early in Europe

• But eliminated the reigning champion Trento with a 3:0 victory, albeit in the absence of Alessandro Michieletto

• After that, they overcame Verona with 3:1

The final already guarantees a successful end to a difficult season.

Individual records under pressure

The final series also comes with a number of personal achievements:

• Sebastian Solé (Perugia) – on the verge of 400 matches in the SuperLega
  

  

• Fabio Balaso (Civitanova) – also close to the 400 mark
  

  

• Wassim Ben Tara (Perugia)

  • 12 points away from 500 for the season

  • 12 points away from 1500 career points in the SuperLega
    

    

• Kamil Semeniuk (Perugia) – close to 100 successful blocks
  

  

• Mattia Bottolo (Civitanova) – chasing a place among the best scorers in the club's history
  

  

Additional highlight – Ben Tara will be awarded as MVP of the semifinals before the first match.

Head-to-head throughout the season

In the current campaign, Perugia has a clear advantage:

• 2 victories in the regular season

• a victory in the Coppa Italia too

But finals traditionally rewrite logic.

Experience versus youth

• Perugia relies on an established squad and depth

• Civitanova bets on a younger and more aggressive team

An interesting detail is the presence of Marko Podraščanin – the only player in the series who has played for Perugia, and who, with his experience, stabilizes Lube's block.

The final between Perugia and Civitanova is not just a battle for the 80th title in history. It is a clash between two different models – the dominant favorite against the resurging contender.
History shows that Lube often finds a way to surprise Perugia precisely at the decisive moment. But this time, “the devils” look more complete than ever.
A series that has all the prerequisites to become a new volleyball classic.

Photos:legavolley.itand Nikolay Varadinov