The Bulgarian national team recorded a second consecutive victory in the Nations League, after defeating Argentina in a comeback and prevailing 3:1 (23:25, 25:23, 25:15, 25:23) in their third match of the tournament in Brazil.
After dramatically conceding the first set, Gianlorenzo Blengini's players gradually took control of the match. The Bulgarians equalized after a contested second set, dominated emphatically in the third, and in the fourth, they overcame a 10:14 deficit and secured the final victory.
With the win, Bulgaria now has 2 wins, 1 loss, and 6 points, occupying 5th place in the provisional standings of the Nations League. The success also brought valuable points for the world ranking, where the 'Lions' climbed to 8th place with 266.20 points, while Argentina dropped to 13th position.
Top Scorers
Bulgaria
Aleksandar Nikolov – 26 points
Martin Atanasov – 13 points
Argentina
Luciano Vicentin – 16 points
Manuel Armoa – 11 points
Team Statistics
| Statistic | Bulgaria | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 55 | 50 |
| Block | 8 | 6 |
| Ace | 7 | 3 |
| Points from opponent errors | 28 | 27 |
| Total points | 98 | 86 |
| Digs | 61 | 56 |
| Reception | 70 | 78 |
Bulgaria surpassed Argentina in all key elements that bring direct points is attack (+5), block (+2), and serve (+4 aces). The better defense, with 61 saved balls against 56 for the opponent, also makes an impression. The only component where the Argentinians were better was reception, but this could not compensate for their weaker efficiency in attack and serving.
Tomorrow, Bulgaria will face Serbia in their last match of the first tournament of the Nations League.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
