The Bulgarian national U18 team recorded its third victory at the European Championship in Italy. Miroslav Zhivkov's team decisively defeated Romania 3:0 (25:19, 25:18, 25:18) in their fourth match of Group II, played in Cisterna di Latina, and remained in an excellent position in the battle for a place in the semifinals.
After this success, the Bulgarian 'lion cubs' occupy second place in the provisional standings with 3 wins, 1 loss, and 9 points. According to the regulations, only the top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. On Sunday (July 12), Bulgaria will play a crucial match against Belgium, which also has a balance of 3 wins and 1 loss. The match starts at 18:30 Bulgarian time.
The Romanians started better and took leads of 4:2 and 5:3 in the first set, but after an even start, the Bulgarian team imposed its will after the 11th point. The nationals gradually increased their lead and closed the set without difficulty at 25:19.
In the second set, Miroslav Zhivkov's protégés completely controlled the events on the court. The Bulgarians dominated in all elements and did not allow their opponent to get close, deservedly taking a 2:0 lead after 25:18.
The third set unfolded in an almost identical scenario. The Bulgarian team dictated the pace from the very beginning, maintained a comfortable lead, and without hesitation put an end to the contest with another 25:18.
Nikola Gradinarov was the top scorer for Bulgaria with 17 points (2 blocks, 1 ace, 67% attack efficiency, and 66% positive reception). Adrian Ganev also played an excellent match, scoring 13 points, impressing with 100% attack efficiency (11 successful attacks from 11 attempts) and adding 2 blocks.
For Romania, the top scorers were Mario Panait with 8 points and substitute Patrick Balan with 7.

photo: cev.eu