The matches of the regular competitive day in Plovdiv's "Kolodruma" hall passed without unexpected results.

The next 4 matches in Plovdiv were played yesterday. Here's what happened on the third day of EuroVolley 2024 in Group B:

1. Spain - Estonia 3:1 (21:25, 25:19, 25:11, 25:15)

The first match of the day pitted "La Furia Roja" against the Baltic country. After quickly having to forget the disappointment of losing the marathon game (32:34) against Italy, the Spaniards started their third match in Plovdiv rigidly, and Estonia took full advantage of this, taking a deserved 1:0 lead after 25:21. In the Iberian camp, they sensed that things would completely turn around and took measures, regaining some of their good play in the next set - 1:1 sets after 25:19. In the next two, the Spaniards proved their fiery nature, literally sweeping the Estonians - winning respectively by 11 and 15 points. Thus, "La Furia Roja" added a second victory to their EuroVolley 2024 record and continues to be in the fight for the semi-finals, while the likeable Estonian team suffered a third consecutive defeat in the tournament.

2. Greece - Czech Republic 1:3 (25:23, 20:25, 21:25, 20:25)

Our southern neighbors and the Czechs were the second to take the court for the day, with Greece starting the match better and logically taking a 1:0 lead after 25:23. The Czech Republic, expected to be the other main contender in the fight for second place in Group B given Italy's dominance, "woke up" in the second set, winning comfortably 25:20. The Czechs also won the remaining two sets - by 21 and again by 20, which prevented Spain from pulling away in second place - both teams now have 6 points, but "La Furia Roja" still holds a big trump card after having defeated the Czechs on the first day 3:0. We will see how this interesting indirect duel will be resolved - not without the help of leader Italy, who will face the Czech Republic later and will act as an "arbitrator". It is necessary to add that after this round, other teams also have 6 points, which means that the battle for second place will be fierce. But the volleyball players from Central Europe have nothing to lose, so an interesting outcome awaits us in this group. For the Greeks, this was their second consecutive defeat, with one win achieved on the first day against Slovenia, they have 3 points.

3. Romania - Italy 1:3 (9:25, 19:25, 25:22, 18:25)

"Squadra Azzurra," which was announced at the beginning as the main favorite to win the group in Plovdiv, confirmed this by defeating our northern neighbors' team 3:1. The Italians swept the floor with Romania in the first set, leaving them humiliatingly with only 9 points. The second set was far more valuable, but the "Azzurri" took their own after 25:19. In the third set, the Romanians played more calmly, and this paid off - they won 25:22 and reduced the score to 1:2. However, this only irritated Italy, who again switched to "turbo" mode to seal victory #3 at EuroVolley after 25:18. Despite the convincing victory of "Squadra Azzurra" at the European Championship, there is no team left that has not lost at least one set - both they and the Poles had "clean" statistics, but yesterday both teams lost their first sets. For its part, Romania suffered a third consecutive defeat in the championship. The Italians' success has now put them in sole possession of the top spot, with 9 points and a set ratio of 9:1. We must note that there are no visible prospects for the Italians to be dethroned from the top of Group B.

4. Slovenia - Belgium 3:0 (26:24, 29:27, 25:17)

The third day in Plovdiv ended with the match between the Slovenians and the Belgians. The volleyball players from the small mountainous country managed to carve out a valuable 2:0 set lead after a great battle unfolded on the court. Slovenia managed to win respectively 26:24 and 29:27, which should have guaranteed an interesting third set. Nothing of the sort - the Slovenians used their confidence, self-esteem, and momentum to finish off the Belgian team, leaving them with 17 points. This was Slovenia's first clean victory, giving them 6 points and thus also returning to the battle for second place. Belgium suffered its first defeat, missing the chance to equal Italy at the top - the Flemings also have 6 points. Thus, in second position with 6 points each, there are now 4 teams: Spain, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Belgium - the battle will be fierce until the very end!

Photos: cev.eu