Repeat the success of the first leg to launch the assault on fifth place. This is the goal of Pallacanestro Trieste on the pitch on Sunday at the Nova Arena in Tortona against Bertram. On their way, Israel Gonzalez’s team will find an opponent fresh from home missteps against Milan and Udine and determined to rediscover the feeling with the victory in front of their fans.
Taking stock of Bertram’s state of health and what will be the tactical keys of the match is Tommaso Baldasso: the Piedmontese playmaker, one of the technical leaders of Fioretti’s team.
Baldasso, you are looking for the first home victory of 2026, after the missteps against Milan and Udine. How is the team doing at the moment?
«2026 hasn’t started in the best way. We will have to be good at finding the right tranquility and serenity necessary to express our game. The goal is to be more concrete to finally reap the fruits of our sacrifice: we deserve it for the work we are doing every day.”
The match against Trieste is a crucial match for the standings. What type of match do you expect and how much will the pitch factor have?
«Trieste is a strong and well-equipped team, which always puts us in difficulty. Let’s not forget that they were the ones who took home the two points in the first leg. I expect a complicated match because they have an important roster, with great talent and scoring ability. It will be essential to contain their physicality and their high pace: we will have to be good at limiting their energy and their offensive potential.”
Which are the most dangerous defenders in Trieste and which defensive aspects will you have to focus on most to stem their pace?
«The dangers are many and come from multiple fronts: Ross, Ramsey and Uthoff are high-level players, without forgetting Ruzzier’s experience. Each of them can put us in crisis in a different way. Furthermore, Markel Brown is an extremely concrete player. Trieste is a very talented team, which loves to play at a high pace. Our priority will be to limit their transitions, trying to make them run as little as possible, and then be good at hitting them in their weak points.”
How do you feel physically and mentally at this stage of the season? And how much responsibility do you feel in leading the team in a match that could allow you to secure fifth place in view of the playoffs?
«Compared to the beginning of the year, my role has changed, just as the balance of the team has changed, but the responsibility of bringing a useful “brick” to the cause belongs to everyone. Physically and mentally I feel ready: the season is long and this finale will be fierce. We know how important this fifth place is and we will do everything to secure it, but the result will depend on the collective contribution of the group.” —
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