ECLW quarter-finals 1st leg January 25-26
First quarter-final leg of the 2018/19 will be held this Friday and Saturday (Jan 25-26) but one second game is scheduled for Sunday (Jan 27) too according agreement between French club ETIVAL Clairefontaine ASRTT and reigning ECLW champion Dr. CASL. President of Croatian club Martin-Tino CASL explains why they are going to play twice abroad:
“As unique Champions League winner from Croatia in all sports we are forced to play both legs abroad! We decided to play both games on their soil as Sports Union of the city of Zagreb didn’t cover their debt to us for the organization of international games. Regarding the upcoming games I can say that Etival is good team as well as all the others participants of the ECLW quarter-finals. I hope we are able to win after two away legs if not we don’t deserve to go further.”
In spite of this circumstances Dr. CASL is considered as a clear favourite against French side. Croatian team left Group A with 4-0 win-loss record while Etival had 2-2 in Group B.
Four-time ECLW winner TTC Berlin Eastside (4-0) Group B winner faces Czech Republic SKST STAVOIMPEX Hodonin (3-1) second placed Group D team.
“We play against Berlin who has in their team four top European players so of course they are big favourite in the quarterfinals to go through. But we will do our best and I think that we aren’t without chance and it can be very close matches ” stated Hodonin’s coach Jaroslav MIKESKA.
Actual ETTU Cup winner Metz TT and former two-time ECLW winner Linz play each other third time in last four seasons. Austrian team won previous two meetings both in the quarter-final stage. First one in 2015/16 has been decided by just one-point difference – 5:5 in matches (19:19 sets 347:346 points) while the second one in 2016/17 Linz won 6-2 on aggregate.
“It has always been exciting games and always with a happy ending for our team. Especially unforgettable was our clash decided by only single point” stated Linz president Gunther RENNER.
President of Metz TT Phillipe BORDES expects full hall against Austrian team:
“As usually Metz TT begins to be known for our fighting spirit and. … spectators! Maybe the people who come to support our team will be the “fourth” player! In any case the first leg in Metz will be a big clash. Respect to this great team of LINZ and their strong players”!
Sporting finished second in the Group C with a 2-2 win-loss record after dramatic away win over TT Saint Quentinois 3:2 in the ultimate group stage round. Now they will meet no.2 seed and two-time ECLW runner-up Tarnobrzeg.
“This is our debut year at ECLW. We expect two very difficult games but in which the objective will be to keep us in the test” stated Sporting’s coach Marco RODRIGUES.
2018/19 ECLW quarter-finals 1st leg
SKST STAVOIMPEX Hodonin – TTC Berlin Eastside (Jan 25 18:00 CET)
ETIVAL Clairefontaine ASRTT – Dr. CASL (Jan 25 19:30 CET)
Metz TT – Linz AG Froschberg (Jan 25 19:30 CET)
Sporting Clube de Portugal – KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg (Jan 26 18:00)
