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Hungary are looking like a team with serious intentions at the moment. They put De Brandt in charge, and he did a good preparation period for this qualification. They practiced a lot, but also played a lot of matches. Hungary played 6 friendly matches, they hosted a tournament in Hungary as a simulation of this one. They are playing well, but De Brandt expects his team to really shine here in France. The first opponent in their way is Israel, whom they beat in a result-wise unimportant WC qualifying game away. Hungary will now have Horwath and Liliom. The two of them will be in the line up today, and they should help their team do better than they did in that match. H2H is on the Hungarian side, they played Israel three years ago in the European League and Hungary won three times, and Israel only once. Hungarians are increasingly better, they beat France in January in WC qualification, and that kind of win is something Israel don't have lately. There were no major changes on their team in the last few years and there is therefore no improvements. They have been doing the preparation period in Maribor for years now, and their opponents are always the teams that happen to be there. Israel need changes to get out of the rut. Hungary seem to be more ambitious, they want to get through to EC as the top team in the group. Injuries at France will give them the opportunity for it, but if they want to win that top position in the group, they need to beat Israel today. I think they will, the chances are 55-45 for Hungary, the odds suggest otherwise, and that makes this bet valuable. Details

I expect at least four sets in these finals. Kazan are a favorite, but not as much as the bookmakers make them. I'll go for an over here, it happened in the first match this season that was solved in the fifth set. It wouldn't be weird even if the Russian champion were decided in the fifth set today. From five matches this season, two went over this margin. It doesn't really work for this bet, but in the matches where Moscow were losing in under, they weren't nearly as ready as they are today. They come to this match and with the healthy captain Koseleva. Kazan are probably tired from playing the club WC, and this match is played on a neutral court. In finals like these, of the Cup this year, they lost to Moscow. I expect Dynamo Moscow to have a certain support from the stands today,because this match is played in Moscow suburb. A margin for the points total is low enough here, in my opinion, to try an over with a middle stake. Details

Dynamo Kazan defeated Osasco in Zurich less than 48 hours ago. It was a match where the most important players got to rest, Gamova played only the first set, the first setter Startseva and the captain Borodakova didn't play at all. The best blocker of the team, Morozova, played the first three sets, and the foreigners Larson and Del Core shared the minutes. Despite that, the Russian team celebrated, in the fifth set, true, but I'll say it again, with substitute players. Osasco played with their starting team. In the first two sets when half of the starting players failed, Kazan eaasily dealt with Osasco. Later, the Brazilian team snapped out of it a little, took the match to the fifth set. They still didn't look that well, they even had a bit of luck winning the fourth set. I expect Dynamo Kazan to celebrate today, again. This win should be an easier one than one on Friday, when the match wasn't important to them, and they were better with the substitute players. With Gamova from the first minute, Startseva, Del Core and Larson, the Russian team will be an insurmountable obstacle for Osasco. The Brazilian team weren't thrilling here, the only one playing her level is the captain Sheilla. Thaisa and Adenizia are far off from their best games, Bosetti is completely restrained. Osasco make lots of mistakes and Kazan will use that today. I expect them to create pressure with their service, dominate the block and get the title of the World club champion. I don't think it will be dramatic, so I'll go for their win with the handicap of points. With 15 small points, Kazan celebrated on Friday, I don't see why they wouldn't celebrate in a handicap under that one with their starting team playing. Details

Lithuania are quite overrated here in my opinion. They're coming from a long preparation period in which they played nine games, and as their selector says, its time for them to win against Estonia. I'm not that brave, but they should take a set at least. They look better than last year when they lost 3-0 against Estonia in the qualifications. In two of the three sets of that game Lithuania were ahead up to the technical timeout. They would go down in the final part, and I'd say they are now 30% stronger than in that game. Their best player Petrauskaite is finally part of the team. The preparation matches showed this is a better team that the one they had last year, so I'll believe them today, they should get a set. Details

Next to Dinamo Kazan, Osasco are the primary candidate in Zurich for the world club champion title. They are a great team who won nothing this year. I'm sure the only thing they'd settle for here is the title, and they have the quality to get it. First in their way are the Japanese Hisamitsu, a team I feel they'll surely beat, and without losing a set. Hisamitsu are not a bad team, with several members of the Japanese national team, but I don't see how any of them would get into the starting setup of Osasco. Sheilla, Adenizia, Thaisa, Fabiola, C.Brait, Bosetti, and Malagurski are the very best in the world, and they'll all be playing for Osasco today. Although the style of the Japanese does not fit many teams, Brazil are not one of those, as their selection fared well against Japan. Last year at the WGP final they beat them without losing a set, just as they did in London in 2012. Osasco are not far behind the Brazilian national team in quality, having a few gold winners from London, while Hisamitsu are nowhere near the quality of the Japanese national team, giving us no reason to trust the Asian team. Hisamitsu have also just finished the demanding club championship of Asia, played in Thailand. They won, but also spent themselves. From +40 they arrived to chillier Europe, facing the change in weather as well a different time zone. The Japanese are not used to playing out of their continent, which cannot be said of the Brazilians, which I see as yet another advantage for them. All this points towards an easy victory, so it's worth trying 3:0, which pays well here. Details

My choice here is Vilsbiburg. Dresden won the first leg of the finals by 3-0. We didn't see Vilsbiburg at the right level there, it was as if they didn't bother coming to that game. Upon securing the finals after the fifth set in Wiesbaden, it seemed they didn't want to lose too much energy in Dresden. They lacked the fighting spirit, and Lamb and Mesu Luaces were spared, and the latter player was even ill. They also seemed to be preserving their first setter Hagglund who recently recovered from injury. They didn't have too much time to prepare and Dresden played the best game of the season.
I expect a completely different game today. First of all, I don't think Dresden will emulate their performance from Saturday. They are missing several players. Perry has been their best player this season and after losing Izquierdo, I agree with their coach that they are not the favorites here. Especially in away games against Vilsbiburg who have left an impression that they can do more than in the first game. If Vilsbiburg were able to beat them with Perry and Izquierdo in the squad two months ago, there's no reason to believe they can't do that today when they are weakened. In comparison to that game, Vilsbiburg will be reinforced by Hagglund. They will also have the support of their fans who will fill the arena. In addition, they will not lack motivation and Vilsbiburg's coach will not have to waste time on that since some unsportsmanlike statements from Dresden's coach ahead of the first game will be enough. Details

Last year, Slovenians were better than the Germans twice, I don't see why they wouldn't celebrate again today. They're a great team, they know each other, and they played European and World Cup last year. They got to the world championship by defeating Germany 3-1. Compared to that match, the Germans got to Slovenia weakened. They're missing the important Kuhn and the middle blocker Jackle. Yesterday, their setter Kemmsies got injured, and she won't play today. She injured her thumb, and Sydlik will run German team game today, a player who can't compare to Kemmsies. The German coach Tiebohl won't have anyone to cover for Sydlik in case she isn't in a good mood. Lots of problems for Germany, and Slovenia should take advantage of that at home. Yesterday, the Slovenian coach Casar spared his two important players, Sobocan and Markovic. His team are in an ideal form for today's match, unlike Germany's. Home court will give them advantage, they have good experiences in the past, and I believe that will continue today. I definitely don't see Germany as the favorite here, Slovenia have the quality to be better than them once again. Details

I expect Italy to partially get revenge for the defeat in the last year's EC finals by the Polish cadets. The Italians went to that match as extreme favorites, dominated the first two sets, and then Poland celebrated with 18-16 in the fifth. Before that, the Polish saved five match balls, their win was a surprise because the Italians were favorites since the championship started. A year later, Italy is going after the placement to the EC for their junior team at home in an almost identical lineup. Italy showed more than Poland in the first two matches in Pescara, and Poland unexpectedly struggled against Spain here. The reason for Polish weak performances are injuries. Compared to the lineup that won the European title last year, they're missing the standard Damase and Nowakowska. The first setter Baldyga also has injury problems, she started matches from the bench in Pescara so far. So, Poland seem a bit weaker than last year, Italy better. Coach Mazzanti made certain changes in the starting lineup, but the main players are still the same. Poland don't have players like Bonifacio and Nicoletti, and they will decide today. Last year in the EC finals for cadets, we had 1.30 for Italy win. Then, they played on the neutral court, and today Italy are at home. Poland are weaker than then, and Italians are eager to get even for that defeat. Their win is a sure bet for me here, and my choice is 3-0 or 3-1 win with the medium stake. Details

The first semifinals match ended 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-21 and 25-20) for Dresner, a favorite of these semifinals, played the best out of three. I don't expect Dresden to easily win today, because Aachen are completely different at home. Now former German champion Schwein felt it in the quarterfinals. Aachen used the home court against them and got through to the semifinals. Aachen played matches at home great. I expect them to give a hard time today, as well. The arena has been sold out a few days prior to the match, and that will definitely be a plus for Aachen. I expect at least four sets here, then the margin for the points total should go over. The first semifinals match ended with 183 points and that's where the margin should be set today, in my opinion. It's not, you can find it for 4-5 points less, and over is a bet you should take. It's true Aachen lost to Dresden at home in three sets this season, but that match was played in the second round. Aachen grew to be a better team since then, only Suhl defeated them at home in November after that. They're in a series of eight consecutive home matches, they won all matches 3-0 or 3-1. It all points that they should win the set today, and that means this match should end in over. Details

The odds her are set as this were a 50-50 game, which is wrong in my opinion. Mulhouse are overrated on account of their results from the past, while this season has been far from their previous results. They have lost their mental fortitude and they have lost their two most important players, while the replacements that they got were inadequate. They are not playing up to their expectations and the team is having a hard time coping with that. On the other hand, Nantes have surprised everyone this season and they improved as the season moved on and ended up as the third-placed team. Their confidence is high, they are under no pressure as they have secured a place in Europe next season and everything they do in the playoffs will be a bonus. I expect them to continue their winning run in home games that started in regular season. They did great in the second part of the season as they only lost against Cannes in that period, and they managed to beat Mulhouse away (3-2). At the start of the season when they were unorganized, they lost against Mulhouse at home and this is a chance to get back at them. In my opinion, they are better as a team, they have better players with international experience, they are playing at home and are more confident ahead of this game and under less pressure. In my opinion, they are fare bigger favorites than the odds suggest. Details

This is the third, and the crucial match in the fight for position in the semi final of German championship play off. The arena has been sold out for days, and the game will be a proper battle - it is the semi final at stake here after all. The won't be lacking motivation, and the teams are quite tied. Schwerin are defending the title, but their team this season is young, and Hippa got injured early in the season. They finished the regular season in position 5, one point short of Aachen in position 4. Aachen is the third best home team in the league with a 8-2 record, just like the two best teams of the regular season. Each of these team won the home head on head match this season, 192 and 186 points were scored, respectfully. First quarter final game in Aachen was settled after 4 sets - 3-1, with 213 points scored! The second semi final game was not, however, particularly dramatic. Schwerin won home without losing a single set. Aachen were not as good as they normally are, and Schwering seemed to be more motivated. Three out of their four head to head matches this season were over at a margin that is offered today. Both teams will do their best, and we seem to be in for another thriller match. Four sets are a realistic outcome here, which means the expected margin will be at 183,5-184,5 points, and it wouldn't even be surprised if the match is settled in the fifth set. I don't want to try and guess the winner, but over is here the best choice. Details

Yesterday Wroclaw managed to get a 2-1 score in this semifinal , and they have a chance to play in the final for the first time in club history if they win today. They're playing at home, where they rarely if ever lose, this season in the championship they only lost to Chemik, the leader and finalist of the Orlen league, and that was in 5 sets. After the three games played in this semifinal they seem to be much better than Sopot, they won the first away game 3-0 and took over the home court advantage. They lost the second away game after a big five set battle, but they achieved their goals in the first two games, getting the chance to reach the final in their own court. They are just a step away, and I believe they will take it today. Yesterday they demolished Sopot with a superior performanc-e, allowing their opponent to win a mere 43 points, with the score 30 (25-11, 25-13 and 25-19). Apart from the result, that win gave Wroclaw a huge psychological advantage as well. Sopot no longer have room for error, the defending champions will be under pressure today, one I think they will find it difficult to cope with. I think the away team will be much more nervous today, while Wroclaw will, carried by yesterday's win, look for the biggest success in team's history with the help fo their fans. Wrocaw are motivated, hungry for success, Sopot less so, as they took the last two champion trophies. Wroclaw also look to be in much better form at the moment, as they beat Sopot in the regular season with no set lost as well, so today I'll be betting on victory with a handicap. I don't believe Sopot can recover from such a defeat in 24 hours, the advantages of home court, better atmosphere in the team, better form, and better coach leading them should get Wroclaw into the final today in my opinion. Details

A bet on Proton getting a set today is worth playing. In my opinion they are ranked lower than they should be. A change of coaches brought them two three-set wins and getting back in the playoff race. They beat Uraločka 3-0 at home in the first part of the season, which means they know how to play them. They can certainly get a set, while they may have lost many times this season, of the 15 losses they didn't win a set on only 2 occasions. Uraločka on the other hand did not exactly shine in their last two matches, losing at home against Tyumen, who are close to Proton I'd say, and away against Krasnodar. Of their 15 games in the league this season, Uraločka only once won 3-0, recently against Ufimočka, who fell apart. Uraločka are too big of a favorite here, I just cannot agree that they will win in 3 sets. Details

As I pointed out yesterday, defending the title is more difficult that winning the title. Vakifbank will have a hard time reaching that goal today . It's the final game and I don't see them as the such a favorite for the win. I will repeat what I already said - they're not as convincing as they were last year. It seems the Russians are doing better at the moment. They played a better game yesterday, no doubt about it. It gave them a little boost of additional confidence ahead of this game, which is the most important one this season. Everything at the Russian club was about winning the only title they still don't have. Gamova is doing great this season, because she didn't have to participate in her national team's campaign last summer. The Kazan-based team did reception great yesterday, libero Ulanova was probably better than the best libero in the world Castillo, who plays at Rabita. Blocking was at a usually high level, and setter Startseva did well too. Many believe her to be the weak link at this team. Brakocevic was completely stopped yesterday, and Vakifbank simply need to do better today. Their biggest problem is whether Aydemir will be ready for the game. If not, I daresay Vakifbak will stand no chance with the young Akin against the Russians. This is a 50-50 game I think, Kazan will be slightly more motivated, and wanting the title more. They're also better prepared and in better form. Russia has been waiting for a European Champions League title since 1995. That will change today. After 22 years of waiting to win the European title, it's time to end this long period without a title as well. Details

Vakifbank aren't a sure bet here, even though you could come to that conclusion because of the odds to their win here. Everyone knows it's much more difficult to defend the title, than to win it, and they'll be the prey in Baku. The first hunter will be their bitter rival, Eczacibasi, who didn't defeat them for a long time. They played three times this season, and Vakifbank won all three, two of those in five sets. I expect at least four today, Eczacibasi want to surprise them today, they looked great in the Champions League this season, and didn't lose one game there. Vakifbank did, in the one before the last round, they lived dangerously against Cannes and only got to Baku thanks to the "golden set". They don't look invincible like they did the last season, and over is an obvious choice here. There aren't any misunderstandings between these two teams, and the margin on the number of points is pretty low, I think. They played seven times last season, and none of those matches ended in three sets. Six out of those seven went over the 178,5 points margin, almost the biggest one that can be found with the bookmakers. If we add two from this season, that's seven overs in nine matches they played against each other. The importance of this match adds to this bet, so my choice for today is over on points. Details

Dynamo Krasnodar have still not persuaded me as two away wins without losing a set and one home wined against Odintsova don't make them a huge favorite against Uralochka. This a derby, a direct battle for the fourth spot in regular season and the home court advantage in the quarter-finals. This should be a very interesting games that should not end after only three sets. Uralochka lost against Tyumen in the last round and they played poorly but it was caused by fatigue. I expect Karpov's girls to react and play much better in this derby. They have a chance in Krasnodar and should get a set. The first head-to-head this season, played in Yekaterinburg was settled in the fifth set and Uralochka didn't have Zaryazhko while Ruiz only played the first set due to injury. Last season, these teams played five sets here in Krasnodar, and four should be enough for this bet to go through as the margin for total number of points is pretty low. Details

This bet is primarily caused by Ufimochka's disaster. The club is facing liquidation, three of their most important players have left it, the most recent departure being Aleinikova, the player used in the rotation. Suffice to say that the person managing their stats has also left the club. It's a desperate situation and Proton will use that today and I'm sure they will get three points. Their win is a sure thing here and I think that it will be very convincing. The change of coaches seems to have brought on a positive shock and Proton played a great game in the last round as they won the away match against Hara Maureen in three sets. They won it be only 15 points and one can expect something similar today. Points handicap seems like a safer bet than 3-0 for Proton, even though the latter pays better. Perhaps Ufimochka manage to play a good set. They lost their last two games by 25 points, but against stronger teams than Proton. They lost against Tyumen by 12 points, winning a set in the process. Proton are, without a doubt, the better team in the current situation and should get an easy win lead by Alisheva, Kozlova and Molosai. Details

Dresden played their best match of the season on Tuesday, and defeated Uralochka in the away match. I don't think that will happen today. They're not in a promising shape, and it was similar to that in the quarterfinals. Then, they defeated Khimik in the first match as the guests, and lost at home 3-1. Uralochka gambled their first set off in the first match, had 24-21 and five set balls. They made weird mistakes in the reception and the offense, and it cost them a win in the end. If they won, that match would probably end 3-0 for them. Uralochka still have a lot of substitutes, Ruiz and Pasynkova can't play as bad as they did on Tuesday. Uralochka recently defeated Omsk and Dinamo Moscow, they're a better team than Dresden, Karpolj is aware of that, even though he was relatively calm after the defeat in the first match. If both teams play like they can, then Uralochka will get to the finals here. They need a 3-0 or 3-1 win for that, and that's my tip for this match. Details

Dynamo Krasnodar will play an away game at Maureen Hara. It is a very remote and difficult away game. Hara Maureen have improved a lot since the start of the season. At home, they are very solid and they've won 3 out of 6 games there. They lost against Fakel and Dynamo Moscow in five sets and only Odints won the game here in five sets. I think Dynamo Krasnodar won't win in three sets either, seeing how they lost against Dynamo Moscow in the last round. They are under pressure today as they almost have to win and that win won't come easy. The hosts are relaxed ahead of this game. If Maureen Hara managed to get two sets against Dynamo Moscow at home and beat Uralochka, I don't see why they couldn't get a set against Dynamo Krasnodar who are nowhere near their expectations. This particularly applies to away games as they have not beaten anyone away by 3-0 this season. Details

It's becoming increasingly more obvious Ufimochka are on a verge of a breakdown. No one got their paycheck for over six months, the situation is preventing the players from focusing only on the game. The two top players already left, and a few more are thinking about leaving. They will have a hard time standing up to a team as good as Tyumen in such a state today. Tyumen have improved compared to the first part of the season. Topic is doing great, Newcombe improved as well after struggling with an injury in the first part of the season. Tyumen played their best match of the season in the last round, they beat Fakel easily, and I believe they'll continue in the same manner. If they play at the same level, they'll win easily today. But, we need to take precautions. The best bet here is the point handicap for Tyumen, which is not high. Ufiochka lost to Hare Morin 3-2 the last round, but by 15 points. They lost to Tyumen away by 20 points, despite winning a set. Unlike in that match, they won't be able to count on Malova and Zakreuskaya today, who are their top players. On the other hand, Newcombe will play at Tyumen. She played the libero position in that match due to an injury, but will be more oriented on offense today. The good choice is also the -1,5 set handicap, which is payed a bit less. Details