FC Porto secured a 3-1 victory against Asterix Avo Beveren in the first leg of their #CLVolleyW matchup, taking the first step towards reaching the group stage. The Portuguese hosts dropped the opening set 19-25 after the Belgian side capitalised on missed serves and used strong blocking to build a decisive lead.
The roles reversed in the second set as Porto dominated from the first point for a convincing 25-14 win. A tightly contested third set ended 27-25 in favor of the hosts. In the fourth set, the visitors built an early advantage before Miguel Coelho’s side fought back to win 25-22, sealing the 3-1 advantage.
Match Reactions and Strategy
FC Porto head coach Miguel Coelho described the encounter as a nervous and stressful game. It was a nervous and stressful game, particularly because we felt that Asterix Avo BEVEREN could only score points when we allowed them to, although they also deserve a lot of credit, as they have a blocking line-up that we do not come across in our domestic league, as well as a strong attacking game,
Coelho stated.
Player Caylen Alexander pointed out the team’s adjustments following the initial setback. As for the first set we recognise our errors and what made us lose it, so after that just playing a clean game and fighting as hard as we can helped us get the win,
Alexander said.
Second Leg Outlook
With a 3-1 lead secured, the Blue-and-Whites prepare for the return fixture. The second leg of the matchup will be played in Belgium on Wednesday, November 11 at 5:00 pm.
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