Italy SuperLega – PLAY OFF

The knockout phase will be contested by the top eight teams in the men's Superlega championship. The 4 matchups, starting Wednesday at CET 19:30, will be played in a best-of-five format (meaning that to advance to the semifinals, a team must win 3 matches).

LUBE-MONZA
Lube-Monza opens this first day of playoffs. Two teams that have shown their worth in the championship and are now reaping the rewards of their efforts so far. Having alternated between fourth and fifth position for much of the season, they now face each other to vie for a spot in the semifinals. Both teams are in excellent form, with Monza coming to Civitanova with 6 consecutive wins and a strong desire to surprise. As expected, Lube has shifted into high gear and demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure, including in cup competitions. Their convincing 3-0 win against Verona in the last match is evidence of this. It will be a real contest, but we believe Lube enters the match in better form.

PERUGIA-VERONA
Perugia-Verona is the second playoff matchup. Despite the bracket indicating a second seed against seventh, we expect a series that is far from predictable. Verona has shown on many occasions that they are a strong, courageous team capable of challenging any team in the championship. Therefore, we anticipate an intense match, but the caliber of Perugia leads us to believe that the home team will emerge victorious. For us, 3-1/3-2.

PIACENZA-MILANO
Piacenza-Milano represents our wildcard game. It's uncertain because we don't feel confident in providing a reliable result as both teams have shown they can alternate between moments of brilliance and periods of decline. Therefore, we not only expect a close match but also a lengthy series, likely played over at least 4 games. We think Piacenza is slightly favored as maintaining home advantage in a best-of-five series is important, and the Piacentini are aware of this. However, for us, over is the most balanced analysis.

TRENTO-MODENA
Trento-Modena could be a less predictable series than it seems. Modena, securing playoffs with the eighth position, the last available spot and the one that crosses paths with the top seed. However, Trento loses their setter Sbertoli and fields Acquarone, strong yes, but not necessarily accustomed to such big stages. Therefore, while we consider Trento superior, we anticipate a less straightforward match than what the bookmakers predict and therefore recommend an Over.