The Raimond Sassari, top of the handball Serie A Gold standings with a perfect record, face Saturday, October 10 Pressano in the sixth round of the league. The match takes place at 4 p.m. at the Palavis and pits the two teams still unbeaten against each other: the Sassari side aim to defend top spot, while the Trentino side hope to join them at the summit.
Nardin’s team head into the fixture with five wins from their first five matches. Their latest came at the PalaSantoru against Enna, who they beat 37–23, taking the Rossoblù to ten points. For a match report, read the account of their win over Enna.
The home win was also their third positive result in the space of seven days. Previewing the match, Giovanni Pavani highlighted the team’s ability to stay focused against Enna: «I think the match against Enna showed an important quality: this team’s ability to stay focused. We did well to make something that was absolutely not easy look easy.»
Their next opponents won their first four matches, against Cassano Magnago, Fasano, Cologne and Siracusa, before drawing 23–23 away to Macagi Cingoli in the last round. Pressano, coached by Branko Dumnic, have now reached nine points and sit in second place. After finishing ninth last season, the Trentino team are looking to establish themselves among the top sides and go into the match aiming to bounce back from the draw.
Pavani described the away game as an important test, noting that Raimond will face an enthusiastic opponent that has yet to lose. «We’ll be playing on a difficult court against a Pressano side that, like us, are full of enthusiasm and have yet to lose, but we want to extend our positive run», he said. The match could therefore have an immediate impact on the balance at the top of the table, with Sassari having the chance to extend their winning streak.
Here are the practical details for following the match:
- When: Saturday, October 10, kick-off at 4 p.m.
- Where: Palavis, in Pressano.
- Live: streaming on PallamanoTV’s YouTube channel.