One of Bulgaria's direct competitors in the battle for a spot in the Nations League final tournament in Macau – Ukraine, made a strong statement before the start of the last week of the preliminary phase. In a friendly match, played in Ljubljana, the team led by Raul Lozano convincingly defeated Slovenia 3:0 (25:17, 29:27, 25:17).
The success, however, should be viewed with a certain degree of caution, as Slovenian coach Fabio Soli rested several key players and opted for an experimental lineup. Nevertheless, the Ukrainians demonstrated excellent play, with Oleg Plotnytskyi's serve and good blocking making the strongest impression. This was the second friendly match between the two teams, after Slovenia won 3:1 in the first one, played on July 7.
The last week of the Nations League will be of great importance for Bulgaria as well, as both Ukraine and Slovenia are ahead of the "Lions" in the standings and are among the main rivals in the battle for a spot among the eight finalists.
In Belgrade, Ukraine will face Iran, Serbia, Turkey, and Germany, while Slovenia will play against Germany, Iran, Turkey, and Serbia. It is the results of these matches that could prove decisive for Bulgaria's chances of qualifying for the finals in China.

photo:odbojka.si