A1 Womens14 February 2025

Women’s Euro Cup: second leg of the semifinals, the Orchette aim for the grand final in Tenerife Echeyde’s den

The match is set for Saturday, February 15, at the “Acidalio Lorenzo” pool, with kickoff at 1:00 PM (CET). Live streaming (paid) will be available on European Aquatics TV. Coach Paolo Zizza: “We cannot rest on our first-leg victory; we must be flawless.”

Pallanuoto Trieste is just one step away from the final. On Saturday, February 15, in the second leg of the Women’s Euro Cup semifinals, the Samer & Co. Shipping-sponsored team will take on CN Tenerife Echeyde. The match will be played at the “Acidalio Lorenzo” pool in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with the starting whistle at 1:00 PM (CET) – 12:00 PM local time in the Canary Islands. Live streaming (paid) will be available on European Aquatics TV, with real-time play-by-play updates provided by Microplustiming. The match officials will be Martina Kunikova (Slovakia) and Karel Dvoracek (Czech Republic).

Three weeks after their convincing home victory in the first leg against the Spanish side (15-9), the Trieste squad finds itself on the verge of reaching the Women’s Euro Cup final for the second consecutive year. However, they must overcome a strong opponent determined to overturn the six-goal deficit from the first leg at the "Bruno Bianchi" arena, backed by the support of their home crowd. “This is a crucial match, and we approach it with great determination,” said head coach Paolo Zizza. “We need maximum focus while carefully managing our physical and mental energy. We cannot afford to rely on our six-goal advantage from the first leg. The final is within reach, but we need to be perfect to make it ours.” As for the lineup, Zizza will decide the 13 players who will take the field only after the final training session.

The team led by Enrique Cruz Torro has had a mixed season so far, struggling in the Spanish league (currently ninth in the standings and coming off a 14-8 loss against Mataró) but showing much stronger form in European competition. The Spanish squad boasts several high-caliber players, including perimeter shooters Natalia Naya Manero and Maryn Dempsey. Special attention will be needed to contain left-handed Maltese player Elena Borg, formerly of CSS Verona and Como Nuoto, who scored three goals against the Orchette in their January 25 clash.