Bertram has the Cup in mind: against Scafati it's mission Final Eight. The words of coach De Raffaele
Having settled the Champions League Play-In issue in a positive way, at least for the opening act of the series, Bertram Derthona must hit the other crucial goal of the week, this time in the league. After the 1-0 European win over Peristeri, they must earn the pass to the Coppa Italia Final Eight in the home match against Givova Scafati, scheduled for tomorrow at 19:30 at the PalaEnergica Paolo Ferraris in Casale Monferrato for the 15th and final day of the first leg of the Unipol Serie A.
FINAL EIGHT This match will define the eight teams qualified for the Italian tournament in Turin, with only one spot remaining, with Tortona battling it out with Treviso. A win would ensure their qualification from any attack the following day by Treviso, who are two points behind in the standings but have a direct clash that would reward them if they win their match in Varese and Tortona's previous loss. This is the only combination of results that would prevent Bertram from securing a double at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, with Autosped G BCC Derthona already confirmed in the Women's Serie A1 Final Four. A ninth win would secure Severini and his teammates a spot in the Coppa Italia, which could range between sixth, seventh, and eighth depending on the results of the other teams competing for these spots: Milan, Reggio Emilia, and Trieste.
FORMER PLAYERS The match marks the first return as opponents for new Scafatista coach Marco Ramondino and his assistant Gianmarco Di Matteo, who will make their debut as coach of the Campanian club, where they won an LNP Super Cup and historic promotion to Serie A, after replacing Damiano Pilot this week. A former Derthona player, Paulius Sorokas, will also be on the field, one of the Bianconeri's 2018 LNP Italian Cup winners. Above all, Tortona will face an opponent fresh from the wounds of an overtime home defeat against Trieste (107-110) and in dire need of a win due to their mere two-point advantage above the relegation zone.
MATCH SPONSOR Giudici SpA will be the match sponsor for the match against Scafati. The road construction and building company from Rogno (BG) is also the title sponsor of the PalaEnergica Hospitality Hall for the second consecutive year.
STATEMENTS “Scafati is a team that scores 90 points per game, it has many players who can score in many ways, so it will be very important to have a defensive presence, especially on the characteristics of the players, also because in the game situations, with a new coach having arrived, there will perhaps be different ones ”, is the beginning of the pre-game commentary by coach Walter De Raffaele . I believe the difference, when the game matters, always lies in having a deeper understanding of the opponent's characteristics. In this sense, both because of the close matches and the current situation, being able to count on the contribution of all the players on the roster—built specifically to be able to face the various matches regardless of injuries—is an important element because you don't always have fluidity or the ability to score 90 points. Physically, we still have our issues due to some aches and pains, so we constantly manage both rest periods and rotations. We have players recovering and we're preparing for what will be a battle. Final Eight pressure? I don't want to sound rhetorical, but the pressure is felt for other, much more important reasons. I think it's right, instead, to enjoy the moment, getting to play matches for which we train to perform as best as possible. More than anything, having relatively young or inexperienced players, we need to find the balance in knowing how to manage so many important matches one after the other, but they must be faced. With the enthusiasm of those who have the chance to compete. We must always look on the bright side of things; there are several teams that don't have the chance to compete for these goals. This should be a source of satisfaction for us because nothing is guaranteed, especially in this championship where nothing is so simple because there are so many teams fighting for so many different objectives."
A BASKET FOR RESEARCH During this weekend's matches, for the first time in Italy, all sixteen teams in the Unipol Serie A will stand alongside the AIRC Foundation for cancer research with the new "A Basket for Research" campaign. Players and coaches invite fans and enthusiasts to join the team of those who believe in cancer research and make it increasingly credible by donating to 45521, texting or calling from a landline, or on AIRC.IT. During pre- and post-match interviews and throughout the match, coaches will wear a sticker with their donation number.
