Unieuro begins the playoffs against Cividale: decisive challenge at PalaGesteco

Tonight at 18pm, at PalaGesteco of Cividale,Unieuro begins his playoff with the desire to discover its true potential at the height of a season in which perhaps something was missing to confirm itself among the big teams. Taking some scraps of the championship, coach's men Antimo Martino they would seem to have nothing to envy from the top of the class, from Rimini to Cantù, but it is equally true that there were many wasted opportunities, like in the last match in Cento, where the red and whites missed the chance to have the home field advantage.

Instead, on Unieuro's path there is Cividale, the fifth force in the tournament, seeded number 4 in the draw. Capable, in recent seasons, of often hurting Forlì. Leading it is Stefano Pillastrini, a Bolognese adopted by Romagna (Cervia), formerly of the old Libertas Forlì from 1996 to 1998, in his fifth season on the Friuli bench. Many young players in the roster, with the possibility of growing and making space for themselves: above all Francesco Ferrari, winger born in 2005, who in his first season among the pros immediately showed his value (9 points and 7 rebounds on average in 22'), but also Leonardo Marangon, best under 21 of the 2023/24 season. The goal is to follow the path traced by the point guard and captain Eugenio Rota, a fundamental pawn in the rotations (8 points and over 3 assists per game) and by the center Giacomo Dell'Agnello (12+6 rebounds for the son of the former Forlì coach Sandro), the true engines of the team. Without forgetting the guard Martino Mastellari, the center Gabriele Miani (9 points on average and a versatility that is very annoying for opposing defenses) and the pivot Matteo Berti: Cividale started from the bottom and consolidated itself with continuity and work, to reach ever higher peaks and levels of play.

Of course, the impact of foreigners is also fundamental: the Argentine Lucio Redivo is undoubtedly the go to guy, who likes the heavy balls and knows how to build for himself (almost 18 points per game) and for others (4 assists on average). Doron Lamb, who arrived in the running to replace the former Rimini player Derrick Marks, is instead a guard with hot hands and the ability to make the game concrete (over 14 points per game). Michael Anumba also arrived in the running, after college and a start to the year in Serie A in Pistoia.

In short, a well-established roster, of great quality and trained to perfection: Cividale is an opponent to be taken with a pinch of salt, also considering the double defeat in the previous seasonal matches (77-69 in the debut, 79-82 in the return match at the Palafiera).

"Cividale has been demonstrating its value in the last two seasons and can no longer be considered a surprise – coach Antimo Martino begins –. From the beginning it has been among the first, reaching the final of the Italian Cup, with a regularity that is the consequence of very specific values. The growth of some players adds to the certainties of Lamb and Redivo plus a group of 6-7 players, who have been together for years with the same coach. We know that there will come a moment in every game in which Cividale will try to raise the level of energy and aggression. And that is precisely where we will have to be ready, keeping calm, demonstrating solidity in the 1-on-1 defense and fighting for rebounds".

Despite the pitfalls, Unieuro can do it. To advance to the next round, however, they will need to overturn the home field advantage: doing so already tonight in game 1 would change the entire inertia and trend of the series.