The Italian national team recorded their seventh victory in the Men's Nations League after defeating Argentina 3:0 (25:22, 25:22, 25:22) in their third match of the tournament in Osaka (Japan). Thus, Ferdinando De Giorgi's squad collected 23 points and temporarily climbed to fifth place in the overall standings, taking another important step towards qualifying for the final eight.
After a rest day following their victory over Belgium, the Italians demonstrated stable and mature play against a tough Argentinian squad. The two teams engaged in an even battle at the beginning of each of the three sets, but in decisive moments, the European champions showed more class and closed out each set with the identical score of 25:22.
Yuri Romano was the top scorer for Italy with 15 points, while Mattia Bottolo added 13. Daniele Lavia finished with 9 points, and setter Simone Giannelli stood out with 7 points and excellent game organization. For Argentina, the top scorers were Pablo Gomez with 13 points and Luciano Armoa with 11.
In their last match of the tournament in Osaka, Italy will face Cuba, who earlier in the day defeated Canada 3:0. The match will be crucial for the final standings before the final eight.

photo:volleyballworld.com