Post by netsetter on Nov 29, 2021 20:32:59 GMT -5
The group stage starts tomorrow.
Hebar Pazardzhik of Bulgaria (Massari, Salaparov, Viktor Yosifov) and Benfica of Portugal (I am not really familiar with their roster) qualified for the group stages through the preliminary rounds.
Tuesday:
Pool A - Jastrzebski Wegiel vs Pazardzhik: Should be 3 points for JW, even if they have lost a few matches in the PlusLiga. They have a big onew against Indykpol AZS Olzstyn on Saturday (DeFalco, Averill). Indykpol has a better record than JW, thought they have played one fewer match and are behind them in the standings.
Pool E - Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. AS Cannes: Fenerbahce should easily win this. Cannes is horrible this year. Louati, Seyed and Hidalgo are all better than anyone on that team.
Wednesday:
Pool A - Vfb Friedrichshafen vs. Knack Roeselare: I haven't followed the Belgian league much. VfB has struggled to meet expectations at 4-4 in the Bundesliga. They have won 3 of the last 4 but lost their last league match to a struggling Luneburg. They also have a big match this weekend against Berlin.
Pool B - Dynamo Warsaw vs. Projekt Warsawa: I am going to go with Moscow here. They are the only team to beat Kazan, and the top of the Russian league is good. Sokolov is still good. Pankov is still the best serving setter in the game right now.
Pool B - Ziraat Bankasi Ankara vs. Greenyard Maaseik: Again, I am not the most up to date on the Belgian league, but Ziraat has been playing well in Turkey. They have Camejo, Atanasov and Ter Maat.
Pool C - Lube Civitanova vs. Lokomotiv Novosibirsk: This match could be amazing (or it could be like Moscow/Trentino last year and turn into a quick sweep). Novosibirsk started on fire but dropped a match to Kazan. Lube is just so deep. They weather injuries well and keep handling business.
Pool C - ZAKSA vs. OK Maribor: This should be a quick sweep for ZAKSA. It was great that Maribor knocked off Calcit and ACH in Slovenia last year, but ZAKSA is playing lights-out right now.
Pool D - Zenit SP vs. Benfica: Poletaev was injured (not sure if he still is) and that made ZSP adjust their lineup (like Kliuka on the right side), but they are so much stronger than Benfica.
Pool D - Berlin vs. Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad: The Serbian club (with Parapunov) has had some hiccups early in the domestic season. Berlin has only dropped two sets and has such a deep bench they have been rotating starting lineups and gotten the same results.
Thursday
Pool E - Perugia vs. Trentino: This matchup doesn't really excite me. They will surely be the top two teams in the pool, but neither of these teams are coming in off of their best volleyball. I would rather see the international matches than another matchup we will see many times this year.
Hebar Pazardzhik of Bulgaria (Massari, Salaparov, Viktor Yosifov) and Benfica of Portugal (I am not really familiar with their roster) qualified for the group stages through the preliminary rounds.
Tuesday:
Pool A - Jastrzebski Wegiel vs Pazardzhik: Should be 3 points for JW, even if they have lost a few matches in the PlusLiga. They have a big onew against Indykpol AZS Olzstyn on Saturday (DeFalco, Averill). Indykpol has a better record than JW, thought they have played one fewer match and are behind them in the standings.
Pool E - Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. AS Cannes: Fenerbahce should easily win this. Cannes is horrible this year. Louati, Seyed and Hidalgo are all better than anyone on that team.
Wednesday:
Pool A - Vfb Friedrichshafen vs. Knack Roeselare: I haven't followed the Belgian league much. VfB has struggled to meet expectations at 4-4 in the Bundesliga. They have won 3 of the last 4 but lost their last league match to a struggling Luneburg. They also have a big match this weekend against Berlin.
Pool B - Dynamo Warsaw vs. Projekt Warsawa: I am going to go with Moscow here. They are the only team to beat Kazan, and the top of the Russian league is good. Sokolov is still good. Pankov is still the best serving setter in the game right now.
Pool B - Ziraat Bankasi Ankara vs. Greenyard Maaseik: Again, I am not the most up to date on the Belgian league, but Ziraat has been playing well in Turkey. They have Camejo, Atanasov and Ter Maat.
Pool C - Lube Civitanova vs. Lokomotiv Novosibirsk: This match could be amazing (or it could be like Moscow/Trentino last year and turn into a quick sweep). Novosibirsk started on fire but dropped a match to Kazan. Lube is just so deep. They weather injuries well and keep handling business.
Pool C - ZAKSA vs. OK Maribor: This should be a quick sweep for ZAKSA. It was great that Maribor knocked off Calcit and ACH in Slovenia last year, but ZAKSA is playing lights-out right now.
Pool D - Zenit SP vs. Benfica: Poletaev was injured (not sure if he still is) and that made ZSP adjust their lineup (like Kliuka on the right side), but they are so much stronger than Benfica.
Pool D - Berlin vs. Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad: The Serbian club (with Parapunov) has had some hiccups early in the domestic season. Berlin has only dropped two sets and has such a deep bench they have been rotating starting lineups and gotten the same results.
Thursday
Pool E - Perugia vs. Trentino: This matchup doesn't really excite me. They will surely be the top two teams in the pool, but neither of these teams are coming in off of their best volleyball. I would rather see the international matches than another matchup we will see many times this year.
