Stal Nysa and Barkom will face each other in the context of the Polish PlusLiga volleyball.
Currently in the PlusLiga season, Stal Nysa has shown variable results, ranking 10th with 10 wins and 13 defeats. In the latest round, they surprisingly lost to Czarni Radom with a score of 1:3, which proved to be merely the fourth victory for Radom in the league. The defeat from Jastrzębski Węgiel with a score of 1:3 looks predictable considering the higher level of the rival. At the same time, the team chalked up three significant victories over teams located in the lower part of the table, although those victories were hard-won: Norwid was defeated in a tie-break after Stal Nysa was behind with a total score of 1:2, ultimately winning 15:9 in the last set. Katowice was beaten with the score of 3:1, and Olsztyn was also defeated in a tie-break after losing two sets, with the score in the last set being 15:10 in favor of Nysa.
Before this period, the team encountered a sequel of four losses in a row, starting on the 4th of January when they confidently overcame Słupsk Słupsk with a score of 3:0. Subsequent defeats followed: 7th of January from Zawiercie with a humiliating score of 0:3, 14th of January from Jastrzębski Węgiel with a score of 1:3, 20th January from Kędzierzyn-Koźle with no gained sets (0:3), and, finally, on 24th January, Bełchatów proved stronger, winning the match with the score of 3:1.
This sequence of defeats and arduous victories underscore the inconsistency in the Stal Nysa's performance, which may greatly impact their positions in the league as the playoffs approach.
Positioned 11th in the Polish PlusLiga with a result of 10 victories and 13 losses, Barkom has shown noticeable progress in their recent matches, securing 4 wins out of their last 5 games. This successful streak allowed them to climb up two lines in the league table, yet did not give any chances to get into the top-8 and continue their competition for the highest positions in the league.
During the series of recent matches, Barkom demonstrated their power, especially in games against the league leaders. In the surprise upset on 17th February, the team crashed Jastrzębski Węgiel with a score of 3:0 - a remarkable achievement considering the opponent's status. On 11th Feb, in a closely fought contest, they beat the league's second-best team, Zawiercie, with the score of 3:2. This confirmed their ability to fight and win against top-ranked opponents.
However, in their match on 24th February against Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Barkom suffered a 1:3 loss, which was their only unsuccessful performance in this run of games. Despite this, the team quickly rebounded and continued their winning streak, defeating Kuprum on 1st March with the score of 3:2 and earlier on 3rd February, Słupsk Suwałki with the score of 3:0. This demonstrates their character and ability to turn the situation to their advantage.
These results underscore Barkom's growing form at a critical point in the season. Given their recent success, particularly against leading league teams, Barkom may be considered a strong competitor in upcoming playoffs, even if they cannot vie for the highest league rankings.
Recent head-to-head meetings in the context of the Polish Plus league between Barkom and Stal Nysa have seen clear superiority from Stal Nysa, as they won all three matches. The match of 30th November 2023 ended with a score of 3:1 in favor of Stal Nysa, whilst the match of 24th February the same year ended in a confident victory for Stal Nysa with a score of 3:0. The third match, which took place on 13th December 2022, also concluded with a victory for Stal Nysa, ending with the score of 3:1.
Considering recent matches, Barkom doesn't appear as the underdog. I would place a bet on the positive set handicap for the guests in a match of statistically equal teams. Barkom managed not to surrender a set to Jastrzębski Węgiel, and pushed through to a tie-break victory over Zawiercie.
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