There is no time to enjoy Palmi's three points. The 3-0 in Calabria, second away win of the season and sixth overall, is already a memory for ABBA Pineto, expected on 26 December (6pm) at the Pala Santa Maria with the arrival of Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC. The Boxing Day of the Serie A2 Credem Banca will also coincide with the start of the second round, for a regular season that has given the white and blues a journey so far with more ups than downs: six wins, 19 points and seventh place together with Fano , Siena and Acicastello.
What keeps the morale of the Pineta troops high is above all the recent progress list, made up of four victories in the last five matches, moreover with the Palavolley untouched since November 10th against Prata di Pordenone. Yet the calendar does not allow breaks and against Macerata – 13 points for the Marche region – the air will be that of another full-blown salvation challenge. This was also the case in the first leg, with ABBA managing to prevail 3-1 at the Banca Macerata Forum on 6 October.
Simone Di Tommaso, ABBA Pineto technician: «We start the return round at home with a match with many pitfalls. Macerata is a team that expresses quality both in individuals and in group play, which absolutely must find points in the key to salvation and which will have poisoned teeth after the defeat in the first leg. Furthermore, it is a match that arrives on public holidays and this certainly adds unknowns and management difficulties. From a technical point of view we face a team that prefers playing in the centre, with the opposite Valchinov as the point of reference. We want to continue the positive trend we are experiencing, but with our feet firmly on the ground precisely because we are aware of the difficulties associated with this challenge. The objective will be to collect new points and confirm the high level of play and the attention shown in these last few days.”
We begin the return leg with a home game with many pitfalls for different reasons. Macerate quality both in the individual and game, he must absolutely score points to save himself and then the team win in their home and poisoned tooth – in more matches on holiday days it will be more difficult to manage – technically a lot of play in the center, opposite Valchinov reference attack and pushes serve above all with spin – we have a positive trend but we are on the ground because they are inside, as the championship progresses we will score points and confirm the high level of play and attention paid to the field
The individual and team numbers open up interesting ideas. Pineto places two players, the opposite Samuli Kaislasalo and the spiker Vitor Baesso, in the top-20 of points scored: 246 for the Finn – fourth in the general ranking – and 165 for the Brazilian. But on the other hand, pay attention to the data relating to Macerata's winning blocks, 130 in total (2.55/set) in a particular record shared with Acicastello.
THE OPPONENT. Coached by Maurizio Castellano, formerly of Fano and Castellana Grotte, Banca Macerata has collected 13 points, earning them 11th position for the moment. The last outing coincided with a defeat without points in Ravenna (3-1), while two weeks earlier the Marches had achieved a remarkable 3-1 at the expense of Prata di Pordenone. The attack relies on the Bulgarian Samuli Valchinov (184 points) and the Dutchman Niels Klapwijk, opposite former Brescia and with a history in the Super League.
TICKETS. At Pala Santa Maria tomorrow (26 December) starting at 6pm. Arbitration direction entrusted to the couple formed by Mariano Gasparro (from Agropoli) and Rosario Vecchione (from Salerno). Tickets on sale on the Ciaotickets circuit (online and in affiliated sales points) or at the sports hall on the day of the race.
PRECEDENTS: 6 (2 successes Banca Macerata Fisiomed MC, 4 successes Abba Pineto)
EX: Lorenzo Calonico in Macerata in 2019/20, 2020/21; Michael Molinari in Macerata in 2018/19
(photo: Andrea Iommarini)
