Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul need to regroup against Dinamo Kransodar if they're to make it to the semifinals.
Zurich, Switzerland, May 7, 2015 - The winners of the CEV Denizbank Champions League, Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul, are up against the winners of the CEV Cup, Dinamo Krasnodar on Day 2 of the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship - and the Turkish side are in desperate need of a win.
Having lost their opening match to Hisamitsu Springs of Kobe, Eczacibasi now need nothing less than victory against Dinamo on Thursday. Losing a second match means they go home. But winning 3-0 or 3-1 gives Eczacibasi the three points they need to go through to the semifinals (leaving Dinamo to battle it out with Hisamitsu Springs on the closing day of pool play for the other qualifying spot).
The match starts at 17:30 local time (15:30 GMT) at the Saalsporthalle.
Head-to-head
· Eczacibasi and Dinamo Krasnodar will meet for the first time in the competition as both teams participate for the first time at the Club World Championship.
· This match will also be the first meeting between a Turkish and Russian side at the Club World Championship.
· Moreover, this will be the first all-European match at the Women's Club World Championship since Rabita Baku beat Fenerbahce Istanbul 3-0 in the 2012 semifinals.
Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul
· Eczacibasi started their tournament with a five set defeat against Hisamitsu Springs, despite outscoring their Japanese opponents 107-99.
· This is only the third defeat by a Turkish team in 17 matches in Club World Championships history, and the first in a pool stage. VakifBank (final 2011) and Fenerbahçe (semifinal 2012) both lost to Azeri side Rabita Baku. All other 14 matches with Turkish participation went the nation’s way.
· Participating sides from Turkey have always finished on the podium: Fenerbahçe in 2010 (gold) and 2012 (bronze) and VakifBank in 2011 (silver) and 2013 (gold). However, none of those teams started their campaign with a defeat.
· Christiane Fürst had five blocks against Hisamitsu Springs, most of all players in that match. Fürst is the player with the most national team appearances (in her case, for Germany) of all participants in the club World Championship – 342 caps.
Dinamo Krasnodar
· Dinamo Krasnodar will make their debut in the competition after receiving a wildcard. They showed potential by winning the CEV Cup beating Polish side PGE Atom Trefl Sopot last month.
· The last team winning the tournament after entering with a wildcard was Azerbaijan's Rabita Baku in 2011.
· Last year, only one of four debutants managed to win their first Club WCh match; Dynamo Kazan beat Hisamitsu Springs 3-1.
· Krasnodar are aiming to follow last year's success of Dinamo Kazan who became the first Russian team to win the Club World Championship.
· Teams from the same country have never won two consecutive Club World Championships.