The Turkish grand Galatasaray HDI Istanbul dramatically lost the first match of the CEV Cup quarterfinals, after conceding at home to the Belgian Greenyard Maaseik with 2:3 (23:25, 26:24, 23:25, 25:23, 11:15). The match in Istanbul lasted 148 minutes and offered numerous twists.
Bulgarian international Georgi Tatarov appeared on the court briefly in the fourth set, but recorded only episodic participation and failed to score a point.
The hosts can regret the missed opportunity to take a lead in the match. In the decisive tie-break, the Turkish team led 10:8, but the Belgians went on a run and equalized at 11:11, after which they took control and secured the final success.
The top scorers for Galatasaray were Gökçen Yüksel – 18 points, Jean Patry – 16, Thomas Jaeschke – 12, Roamy Alonso Arce – 11, and Ahmet Tümer – 10.
For the winners, Seppe Maes played a brilliant match, finishing with 33 points, while Pierre Perrin added another 27.
The return match is scheduled for March 11 in Belgium. A 3:0 or 3:1 victory for Galatasaray will send them to the semifinals; a 3:2 victory will result in a golden set, which will determine the semifinalist.
Team Statistics
| Metric | Galatasaray | Maaseik |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 9 | 7 |
| Attack Efficiency | 54% | 56% |
| Attack Points | 52 | 72 |
| Positive Reception | 51% | 46% |
| Aces | 6 | 11 |
| Service Errors | 14 | 26 |
| Points from Opponent Errors | 41 | 22 |
The statistics show an extremely balanced match, butMaaseik wins the key elementsThe Belgians are more effective in attack (56%) and score20 more points from attack, which compensates for the weaker reception. A huge role is also played bythe serve – the visitors record11 aces against 6, and it is the serve that tips the scales in decisive moments.
In the decisive set, it wasMaaseik's serve that proved decisive. The three aces by the Belgians in the tie-break turned the tide after Galatasaray's lead at10:8. Fewer errors at the end also proved crucial and allowed the visitors to close out the match.
