Trent returns to the Forum after nearly a decade
On Sunday, Itas Trentino men’s team will face its fifth away engagement of the season, visiting Allianz Milano for the 31st edition of the so-called insurance derby. Piazza and Mendez’s teams will face each other at the Unipol Forum in Assago (Mi): kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The match will be played in that environment by specific choice of Powervolley, which will leave the Allianz Cloud in Piazzale Stuparich for the appointment in order to use the main multi-purpose facility in Northern Italy so as to meet the many requests received from volleyball fans from all over Italy.
Nine years and eight months after the last time, Trentino Volleyball will therefore return to play an official match in the facility that can hold up to 12,000 spectators and that evokes pleasant memories (such as winning its last Italian Cup – Dec. 30, 2012, 3-1 over Macerata) and less pleasant ones (defeat with 2-3 always with Macerata in the 2012 V-Day on April 22 and 0-3 defeat on Feb. 7, 2016 in the Italian Cup Final with Modena). In total, it played seven matches there, winning four including one against Milan (Feb. 8, 2016) for a regular season match. Its outright debut was over twenty-three years ago (Feb. 2, 2002), against Cuneo in the first appearance in the Gialloblù’s history in an Italian Cup Final Four.
“After two good home performances we return to play away and we will do it on the court of a healthy lineup like Milan, which is getting important results also through a very good game – are the words of presentation of the appointment of coach Marcelo Mendez -. Therefore, to achieve our goal we will have to find continuity and quality away from our arena, confirming ourselves aggressive but also precise in every fundamental. Allianz is a team that has important individualities and also possesses good serving and an effective break point phase; reception and attack will definitely be the keys to this match”.
Allianz Milano receives the visit of the Italian Champions at the height of a particularly favorable moment, both in terms of results and in terms of play. In fact, the lineup coached by Roberto Piazza is fresh off four consecutive victories, a streak that has allowed it to quickly climb the standings up to fifth place (two points behind the same third-place Trento) after a regular season start marked by two defeats in the first three games played. Among the secrets of the excellent period there is certainly the Belgian opposite Reggers, who is confirming himself also this season at very high levels of performance, as well told by the 167 points already scored (best scorer of the tournament), including 18 aces (better than him only the Brazilian Darlan).
