Head-to-Head
· Ziraat Bank ANKARA and Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA will face each other for the first time in the CEV Champions League.
· This will be Ziraat Bank ANKARA's first match against Italian opposition in the Champions League. The last time the Turkish side faced an Italian team in a European competition was in the final of the 2020/21 Challenge Cup, when Ziraat Bankasi SK ANKARA lost 2-3 in Milan and 3-2 at home against Allianz Powervolley MILANO, despite taking a 2-1 lead in both matches.
· Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA have won 13 of their 14 CEV Champions League matches against Turkish opposition. The exception was a 1-3 defeat as Sir Safety PERUGIA against Halkbank ANKARA in the 2014/15 group phase. That match was played at the TVF SC Baskent Sports Hall in Ankara.
· In the 2021/22 Champions League group stage, Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA won both matches against Turkish side Fenerbahçe HDI ISTANBUL in straight sets.
Ziraat Bank ANKARA
· Ziraat Bank ANKARA lost their first match in this season's Champions League group stage 1-3 at SWD powervolleys DÜREN on 9 November. Wouter Ter Maat was the team's top scorer in this match on 20 points.
· It was the first time in their three Champions League campaigns that Ziraat Bank ANKARA have lost their opening group stage match. They started with a win in 2015/16 (and reached the Playoff 12 round) and in 2021/22 (eliminated in group stage).
· Ziraat Bank ANKARA have lost their last three Champions League matches. They had lost three of their 12 Champions League fixtures prior to this run (W9-L3).
· Ziraat Bank ANKARA have won six of their seven Champions League home matches. The exception was their 0-3 loss against Dinamo MOSCOW in last season's group stage.
· Martin Atanasov (84) was the club's top scorer in their 2021/22 Champions League campaign.
Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA
· Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA started their 2022/23 Champions League campaign with a 3-0 home win against ACH Volley LJUBLJANA on 9 November. The Italians scored 13 points from service aces versus one for the Slovenians.
· Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA have won 31 of their last 32 group stage matches in the Champions League, including each of their last 12. The exception was a 1-3 defeat against Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA in Tours in December 2020.
· Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA have reached the semi-finals in five of their last six Champions League campaigns. They were eliminated by TRENTINO Itas in the semi-finals in the last two seasons.
· Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA's last four Champions League defeats were against Italian opposition. They have not lost a Champions League match against a non Italian side since they were eliminated by Zenit KAZAN in the 2018/19 semi-fnals (lost 2-3 in Perugia and 1-3 in Kazan as Sir Colussi Sicoma PERUGIA).
· Oleh Plotnytskyi (16 points) was Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA's top scorer in their 3-0 win against ACH Volley LJUBLJANA on 9 November. Wilfredo Leon Venero led the team in scoring in each of their past three Champions League seasons, including scoring 123 points in 2021/22.
Massimo Colaci“In Ankara we are going to play a match of great value for the qualification. It will be difficult in a complicated sport hall and against an opponent we know because in the squad he has several players who also play in their national teams. Ziraat lost the first game and therefore will play knowing that they absolutely must win. For us it is an important challenge, if we were to return to Perugia with three points, the Pool would certainly go well .
Libero Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA
Andrea Anastasi“Let's play an already very important match. In the Champions League, first place in the Pool is essential to go directly to the playoffs so we will give our all to win in Turkey too”.
Head Coach Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA