CEV Champions League 2019

    D and E look a bit tough. Imoco and Savino fight for the 1st in group D. Dinamo and Fenerbahce fight for the 1st of the group E.

    But I think it's not a problem for all of them to advance to the next round.

    Pool E is really well balanced. Of course the favourites are clear, but all 4 teams are reasonably strong.

    Quote from Canter

    Fener's pool is not easy..They have Moscow in their pool..what about Chemik's strength this season?

    Conegliano has Scandicci in their pool

    i dont know much about Kazan's strength

    Chemik is weaker then ever now imo... I dont see them as a threat whatsoever

    Bucharest are a bigger threat than Chemik now probably. The Dutch and Japanese reinforcements could create a pretty good team.

    Quote from Sisko95

    Bucharest are a bigger threat than Chemik now probably. The Dutch and Japanese reinforcements could create a pretty good team.

    I think that they even beat Galatasaray in friendly match, if I'm not wrong ?

    Quote from Janko

    Poor Imoco and Scandicci are going to get sick and tired of each other this year...:lol:


    Vakif got a good group (by which I mean easy one).

    Yes, if Stuttgart gets into the pool, they can hardly resist VakifBank for more than one hour and the other teams face the same fate...

    Quote from crovolley

    I think that they even beat Galatasaray in friendly match, if I'm not wrong ?

    Not sure if thats a big achievement but I get your point, just letting everyone know Galatasaray played all friendlies (except 1 vs VakifBank) without main players: Meryem, Hande, Jackson, Libero Gizem etc. with a junior/B squad almost so that would be not a strong team anyway.

    I'll post this here, since the names of the winners were announced at the same gala as the draw :


    -Male Volleyball Player of the Year: Bartosz Kurek

    -Female Volleyball Player of the Year: Tijana Boskovic

    -Women's Team Coach of the Year: Zoran Terzic

    -Men's Team Coach of the Year: Vital Heynen

    Second consecutive year for Tijana.

    Quote from StefanS

    I'm not sure about it. They have two very strong middles (Irina Koroleva, born Zaryachko and Anastasia Samoilenko, born Shlyakovskaya) and the very young (15!), but highly gifted Tatiana Kadochkina. So I think we have to wait, how they will perform.

    I have looked into U19 (!) ECh final Italy vs. Russia and observed Kadochkina. It is hard to believe, that this girl is just 15 and one of the youngest on the court, her attack balls have a speed comparable for example to Bustos Kaja Grobelna, who has years of foreign experience now and being a little older than 20.

    It seems ecz vitra is the strongest team on paper again this year. But I think imoco volley is real strongest team this year !!!! Good draw for vakifbank, there is enough time for vakifbank's foreign players to rest and be in good status gradually.

    The pool stage matches are now terminated regarding weeks (braced regarding possible interchanges between teams): in pool A VakifBank first hosts winner of Alba BLAJ vs. Allianz MTV STUTTGART, in pool B Kazan hosts first very weak Finnish champions Hämeenlinna (only third in Finnish championship currently with already two losses), in pool C Novara hosts first winner of Mulhouse vs. Budowlani LODZ, in pool D we see clash of the Italians, Conegliano hosts Scandicci and in pool E we see first an interesting duel of Moscow hosting Fenerbahce.


    Link: https://www.cev.eu/Competition…ion.aspx?ID=1119&PID=1619


    First matches will happen from Tuesday, 20. November to Thursday, 22. November.

    Betting quotes for both home matches are here: equally for Alba Blaj vs. Stuttgart (1.83 both), but to my surprise betters think Budowlani Lodz is clear cut favourite against Mulhouse (1.2 to 4), I think, they underrate Mulhouse considerably - but we will witness it today in the evening. Alba Blaj captain Nneka claimed, they are superior against Stuttgart - I think, this is more like the betters think.

    Quote from StefanS

    I have looked into U19 (!) ECh final Italy vs. Russia and observed Kadochkina. It is hard to believe, that this girl is just 15 and one of the youngest on the court, her attack balls have a speed comparable for example to Bustos Kaja Grobelna, who has years of foreign experience now and being a little older than 20.

    Kazan looks interesting this season. They lost Voronkova, Mammadova and Vasileva but have some young talents. Kadochkina played OPP and OH in the Russian Cup this weekend and looked strong in attack (also good serve). Then there is Kotikova who is also promising (a bit unstable in reception though). And Pasynkova is back after 2 years injured, hopefully she stays healthy. They should get second place (should be stronger than Uralochka unless Malova fixes the reception...).

    Kazan has good MBs (Koroleva) and Startseva..the others in the team have to prove themselves at this level (including Malygina )..i dont know how Bavykina's level has looked like in the recent years .

    Ekaterinburg seems to have better OPPs and there are Parubets +Romanova + good libero ex-Malova

    I think Ekaterinburg has a slight advantage to Kazan