Lokomotiv BAKU are the only team from Azerbaijan – out of three – to have secured their qualification for the Playoff stage of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women. They did so last week when claiming the derby with Azerrail to cement their second place in Pool A and with it claim one of the spots available for the next round of Europe’s elite competition.

The matchup with 2014 gold medallists Dinamo KAZAN coming up on Wednesday is not going to have an impact on the final standing of the pool but the fans in Azerbaijan’s capital are hoping for a great match and a classy showdown.

“Both teams have already secured their qualification for the Playoffs and so this match will be a good opportunity for us to further test our game following the addition of a new player, Sonja Newcombe, who joined us during the holiday season, and to confirm the good impression we left in our matchup with Azerrail,” says the Italian-born coach of Lokomotiv BAKU, Carlo Parisi.

The team captain of Lokomotiv, Czech opposite Aneta Havlickova, adds: “It is not going to be an easy match but we can use it in order to get ready for the next round of the competition. Dinamo KAZAN have a really strong team and we owe a lot of respect to them. We don’t have anything to lose, so we just want to play and enjoy the game, getting the right boost of confidence for the Playoffs and pleasing our home fans at the same time.”