OMM Newsroom
Xilasedici beat Sporting 3-2 away (21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13) in the second-leg match of the men’s volleyball Champions League second qualifying round. After losing the first match in Baku 3-2, the Azerbaijani side also won the golden set 15-13 to advance.
Sporting head coach Joao Coelho spoke about the difficulty of playing without fans and described Xilasedici’s conduct as provocative. He did not specify which actions he meant. Coelho said the Azerbaijani team deserved the win and that its powerful serves caused serious problems for Sporting. He also said Sporting had the ability to progress through the qualifying round.
The match was played in front of empty stands at the Joan Rocha Sports Hall in Lisbon because of Storm Charles. A Bola, Record, Zerozero and Bola na Rede covered the game, the home side’s lack of fan support and Xilasedici’s serving. A Bola referred to the deciding set as the “sixth set.”
The team coached by Jalil Jalilov will face the winner of the ACH Volley (Ljubljana)–Orion Stars tie. The Slovenian club won the first leg 3-0; the return match will be played in Ljubljana on November 12. The third-round first legs are scheduled for November 17-19, with return matches on November 24-26. Xilasedici’s match dates have not been set. The winner of the round will qualify for the group stage. The 2026/2027 season marks the club’s Champions League debut.
Context
On November 3, Xilasedici head coach Jalil Jalilov said the team was ready to face Sporting and that preparations had gone well. At the time, the team had won both of its two matches in the domestic championship.
