Allianz Milano withstand Altekma fightback to book #CEVChallengeCupM final spot

Allianz MILANO secured their place in the final of the #CEVChallengeCupM after claiming a hard-fought 3-1 victory away from home against Altekma SK IZMIR on Thursday night. Playing at the Atatürk Voleybol Salonu in Izmir, the Italian side confirmed their advantage from the first leg and sealed progression after a competitive encounter that lasted 111 minutes.

Altekma SK IZMIR (TUR) vs Allianz MILANO (ITA) 1-3 (21-25, 23-25, 25-16, 26-28)

Milano started the match with confidence and quickly showed the composure that has marked their European campaign this season. The visitors edged a closely contested opening set 25-21 before managing to pull away late in the second to claim another narrow win at 25-23, putting themselves firmly in control of the tie. Veikka Lindqvist played a key role in the early stages, leading Milano’s offence and eventually finishing as the match’s top scorer with 16 points, including 15 successful spikes.

Even though the fate of the double header was sealed already, Altekma responded strongly in the third set. The Turkish side raised their level in attack and defence, with Erhan Hamarat and Ibrahim Lawani leading the charge. Altekma dominated the set 25-16, thereby energising the home crowd. 

However, Milano regained their composure in a dramatic fourth set. The teams traded points throughout a tense battle that eventually extended into overtime. Despite strong resistance from the hosts, the Italian side held their nerve in the decisive rallies to close the set 28-26 and secure a 3-1 victory.

Alongside Lindqvist’s 16 points, Tatsunori Ichino contributed nine points for Milano, while setter Fernando Gil Kreling led the blocking effort with three winning blocks. For Altekma, Hamarat finished with 14 points and Lawani added 12, while Hüseyin Şahin delivered the best reception performance of the match with 38% perfect receptions.

With this result, Allianz Milano continue their impressive run in the competition as they pursue a second #CEVChallengeCupM title after their triumph in the 2020/2021 season.