Panathinaikos two sets away from reaching #CEVChallengeCupW final
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Panathinaikos ATHENS are only two sets away from reaching the final of the #CEVChallengeCupW after their 3-1 home victory (25-18, 27-29, 25-22, 25-18) in the first round of the semi-final derby with GS Panionios NEA SMYRNI – with the ‘Greens’ managing to contain the scoring power of their opponent’s main hitter Elitsa Atanasijevic Vasileva.
Dragan Nešić, head coach of Panionios: “Today we made too many mistakes and we certainly need to analyse our whole performance. I believe we have a completely different second game ahead of us at our home court, and I feel that the qualification to the final is still wide open.”
Alessandro Chiappini“Today we achieved a great victory, fuelled by the support of our fans. However, our joy lasts only for tonight; as of tomorrow, we put it behind us and begin preparing for the second leg. We expect a totally different game there, and our minds must be fully focused on that.”
Head coach of Panathinaikos
Maria Nomikou, player of Panionios: “We made a lot of errors in our game, which was evident in the flow of the match. We failed to stay composed during certain critical moments, and I hope that in the second match, we will show a different side of ourselves.”
Panagiota 'Penny' Rogka“I want to say a big thank you to our fans who supported us as only they know how to do. They certainly made their own contribution to the result. What we achieved today was a very important step, but it is not enough. We must prepare for a completely different match in the return leg, and we need to show up ready, with the same passion and focus.”
Libero of Panathinaikos
In the other semi-final, European Cups rookies Megabox group VALLEFOGLIA of Italy recorded a 3-2 away victory in Hungary over KHG KAPOSVÁRI NRC.