Fortitudo Bologna challenges Pesaro at PalaDozza in the decisive play-in

Pesaro finally arrives. After the tug-of-war of the last few days, with the soap opera about the date and playing field for the first round of the play-in (last night the game was finally played in Forlì due to the unavailability of the Vitrifrigo Arena due to the concurrent Tecnocasa meeting, not without messing up the dates already formalized by the Fip), the team from Marche - having beaten Turin 85-72 - will be the opponents that Fortitude coach Attilio Caja will face on Tuesday evening on the slats of PalaDozza, with tap-off at 20,30pm.

From here will emerge the future opponent that will challenge Cantù, third in the class at the end of the regular season. A2, for the quarterfinals. This would mean, according to the objectives at the beginning of the season, seeing the glass half full of a year that started out as a repeat of last year's ride, which ended with the final lost against Trapani, and then became more complicated given the change of coach Caja-Cagnardi-Caja, the incredible series of injuries and, overall, a complicated and in many ways disappointing sporting year.

A one-off race, therefore, but with all the benefits of PalaDozza and a home field factor historically considered the added value of the club, whether for the record numbers calibrated to the category, or for the actual performance of the white-blues when they play under the 'Madison' vault: this year at home the Effe has written 15 victories and 4 defeats. Of course, this year it was the newly promoted Udine that reaped the most from the matches played within the home walls, but the Effe field remains a prestigious one where the opponents find greater energy due to the very hot crowd that makes it without fear of denial the place to beat: here too, regardless of the category.

However, given what is at stake, and in terms of a do-or-die match, the emotional factor could be the real deciding factor, both for an opponent who, being in Piazza Azzarita, could have a clearer head with less to lose, and precisely the opposite. For the Fortitude it is hoped that, as Marco Calamai already feared in a recent interview, the performance anxiety of those who must save a troubled season at all costs does not come into play.

The reinstatement of the captain will certainly be crucial in this sense. Matthew Fantinelli, struggling with pubalgia but with all probability of the match, which for the role he plays and for the aura of leader he possesses, could give a further push to his teammates. On with the second round of play-in. A lottery, but with Bologna certainly more advantaged by the circumstances: but with the obligation not to think about the 0-2 that occurred in the regular season.