Champions League Men | 20 Nov 2014

MECL to tackle high-tension nights

This Friday and Saturday all eight Round 4 matches of 2014/15 Men`s European Champions League will be held, revealing some new names of quarter-finalists. Three games will be broadcasted live and free on ETTU TV powered by LAOLA1.tv In Group A top MECL se

This Friday and Saturday all eight Round 4 matches of 2014/15 Men`s European Champions League will be held, revealing some new names of quarter-finalists. Three games will be broadcasted live and free on ETTU TV powered by LAOLA1.tv

In Group A top MECL seed Orenburg are fighting to confirm top spot, having an impressive 3-0 (9-0) score after three rounds. Vladimir SAMSONOV, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Alexei SMIRNOV will play this Friday in Poland, against Olimpia Unia Grudziadz. Russian champion was better in opening round (3:0).

“The forthcoming match is very important for our team. The result can affect our position in the group. Our aim is to be the first. The match is expected to be hard as the strongest members of the Polish club are going to play. All our players are preparing hard for the match”, said Orenburg`s coach Valeriy SALABAEV

Roskilde hosts reigning champion Pontoise. Host side still has no victory, while guests are playing for third one. Manager and player of Danish club, Allan BENTSEN explains that his team is not in a good shape: “It will be a hard match for us because Pontoise is last year`s champion. After our first match and Michael MAZE`s surgery, it have been a hard Champions League. We hope to show some fantastic table tennis in Roskilde, with world Nr. 9 Marcus FREITAS, there are sure something to look forward for our fans and sponsors. We hope to be back next year with a stronger team”.

Pontoise`s coach-player Peter FRANZ warns his team mates that it could be crucial period:“The MECL group stage is getting to the deciding matches. Next weeks will be very busy and very important. We know that we are the favorite against Roskilde, but we know that the match against this experienced players can be very difficult too. We need to be focused from the first point. Anyway Marcos and Kristian showed a good performance in the Swedish Open and I am confident that we have a good chance to succeed.”

Group B is the most equal one, as all four teams still has a chance to reach next stage. Chratres and Werder were considered as favorites before the season, but Eslovs and Wienviertel Niederosterreich are in better positions after first three rounds, having 2-1 score each. President of Austrian side, the 2008 MECL champions, Johann FRIEDSCHRODER stressed: “In face of our victory in Chartres with the result 0:3, Weinviertel Niederösterreich is not the favorite in this game. Chartres has three player ranked in the world ranking list before our players. Therefore each result is possible. I hope that our team can benefit from the home field advantage”.

Russian UMMC leads in Group C with all three victories. Tatiana KUTERGINA`s side plays in France, against Angers (1-2 score), and second match of this group will be held in Czech Republic: Sten Marketing (0-3 score) – Saarbrucken (2-1). Erwin BERG, Saarbrucken`s team manager, hopes that his team will secured the ticket for the next stage: “We have hard weeks in front of us. We want to end the year with some good results so the match against the Czech team will be very important for us to become self-confident. We want to reach quarter finals so a victory on Friday is essential for us.”

Group D brings well known rivalry between Bogoria and Borussia. Ten times European champion and the most successful Bundesliga`s club ever has all three wins. Timo BOLL & Co. won 3:0 t home in opening round, but they know how hard games they had against Polish champion in the past: “After the first three matches we´ve got a line-up in the table that looks good”, says Borussia`s coach Danny HEISTER. “We won all matches and if we will win in Bogoria on Friday, too we are in the quarter finals! This is a comfortable situation, but we would like to finalize this goal as early as possible. Our team is self-assured. Only Patrick FRANZISKA is missing in Poland – he is still injured. Timo BOLL, Kamal ACHANTA and Panagiotis GIONIS playing on a high level at the moment. So I look forward with a good feeling.”

Borussia`s Manager Andreas PREUSS adds: “It will be an important match for Bogoria because they are on the same level on points with Hennebont and Wels. So they know the meaning of this game to reach the next round. I expect a fighting team, especially because they are playing at home and a full-throated audience. Bogoria has beaten Hennebont one month ago in Poland 3:0. This is warning enough to us. We have to be prepared and focused. I would be happy if our team would play as good as in the first months of this season. Then we are able to win.”

2013/14 Men`s European Champions League, Round 4

Group A: Olimpia Unia Grudziadz – Fakel Gazproma Orenburg (November 21st, 19h00 CET); Roskilde Bordtennis – AS Pontoise Cergy (November 21st, 18h30 CET)
Group B: Niederosterreich – Chartres (November 22nd, 17h00 CET, live on LAOLA1.tv); Eslovs – Werder Bremen (November 21st, 19h00 CET)
Group C: Angers Vaillante – UMMC (November 21st, 19h30 CET, live on LAOLA1.tv); Sten Marketing – Saarbrucken (November 21st, 19h00 CET)
Group D: Bogoria Grodzisk – Borussia Dusseldorf (November 21st, 18h30 CET, live on LAOLA1.tv); Walter Wels – Hennebont (November 22nd, 19h00 CET)

 

Alex MILETIC, EWT, Alex MILETIC, EWT

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