EuroVolley 2026 Day brought important outcomes in the battle for top spots in the groups. France won the direct clash with Germany and secured the top spot in Group D, Poland inflicted Ukraine's first defeat in Sofia, and Italy and Finland continued their winning streak. Today brings a new round of decisive matches, with our focus on the Poland – Bulgaria match at 7:00 PM and the final standings in Groups B and D before the round of sixteen.
Group B: Poland stopped Ukraine
Poland remained the only undefeated team in Group B after winning the direct match against Ukraine with a score of 3:0 (25:20, 25:13, 25:22). The European champions started strong and took an 8:1 lead in the first set, with their service pressure practically preventing the Ukrainians from finding their usual rhythm.
The difference between the two teams was most significant in attack – 68% efficiency for Poland versus 39% for Ukraine. The Poles also recorded 8 aces against 2, while Ukraine had a slight advantage in blocks – 7:6. Bartosz Bolondz finished as the top scorer with 20 points.
Thus, Ukraine concluded its participation in the group with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 12 points. Poland has 4 wins and 12 points before their last match with Bulgaria.
Our national team is third with 3 wins and 9 points. After the 1:3 loss to Ukraine, the match against Poland will determine whether Bulgaria finishes in second or third position.
In the other match yesterday, Portugal concluded its participation with a 3:0 (25:13, 25:20, 25:20) victory against North Macedonia. Alexandre Ferreira was the top scorer with 17 points, and the Portuguese had a significant advantage in attack – 51% versus 35%, as well as in positive reception – 66% versus 44%.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Sets | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12:0 | 12 |
| 2 | Ukraine | 5 | 4 | 1 | 12:5 | 12 |
| 3 | Bulgaria | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10:4 | 9 |
| 4 | Portugal | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5:12 | 4 |
| 5 | Israel | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5:11 | 2 |
| 6 | North Macedonia | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0:12 | 0 |
Poland and Bulgaria are the only teams in the group that have one match left. Ukraine has already finished with 12 points. For Bulgaria, tonight's match is crucial for the final position before the eliminations.
Group D: France won the group, Germany remained second
France gave its strongest response precisely in the direct match for first place. The Olympic champions defeated Germany 3:0 (25:21, 25:17, 25:19) and finished the group undefeated. The French dominated mostly from serve – 9 aces against only 1 for Germany. Their attack also worked at a very high level – 60% efficiency. Théo Faure scored 18 points, François Huetz and Mathis Henno added 12 each. Thus, France finished with 5 wins from 5 matches and only one lost set. Germany concluded its participation with 4 wins, 1 defeat, and 11 points and is certain of second place. Switzerland recorded its first victory in the championship after 3:1 (25:22, 25:19, 16:25, 25:22) against Latvia. This made the battle in the lower half of the standings even more interesting before the last two matches today.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Sets | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 5 | 5 | 0 | 15:1 | 15 |
| 2 | Germany | 5 | 4 | 1 | 12:7 | 11 |
| 3 | Romania | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9:8 | 7 |
| 4 | Turkey | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5:9 | 3 |
| 5 | Latvia | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5:10 | 3 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5:13 | 3 |
The first two places are already fixed – France is first, Germany is second. Romania, Turkey, and Latvia will determine the remaining positions today, which are directly related to the round of 16 pairings against the teams from Group B.
Group A: Italy overturned Czechia and remained undefeated
Italy won the clash of the two undefeated teams against the Czech Republic with 3:1 (23:25, 25:16, 25:20, 25:20). The Czechs took the first set, but then the hosts significantly increased their pressure from the serve and turned the match around. Yuri Romano finished with 24 points, including 5 aces, and Mattia Bottolo added 22 points and 4 aces. Greece, on the other hand, took an important step towards the eliminations after a 3:1 (25:23, 25:21, 17:25, 25:20) win against Sweden. Dimitrios Mouchlias scored 20 points for the winners.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Sets | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12:2 | 12 |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10:6 | 8 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7:3 | 6 |
| 4 | Greece | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7:8 | 6 |
| 5 | Sweden | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3:12 | 1 |
| 6 | Slovakia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1:9 | 0 |
Italy controls the top with a maximum of 12 points. The Czech Republic is second, but Slovenia has one less match played, while Greece has already accumulated 6 points and remains in the fight for the eliminations.
Group C: Finland continues undefeated
Finland maintained first position after a dramatic 3:2 (18:25, 25:21, 24:26, 25:20, 15:11) win against the Netherlands in front of 6160 spectators in Tampere. The hosts had to come back from a set deficit twice before imposing their will in the tie-break. Belgium also continued their strong performance and defeated Denmark with 3:1 (19:25, 25:20, 25:19, 25:23). Ferre Reggers scored 25 points, and Sam Deroo added 14.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Sets | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12:4 | 10 |
| 2 | Belgium | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11:6 | 10 |
| 3 | Denmark | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7:6 | 6 |
| 4 | Serbia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6:6 | 5 |
| 5 | Netherlands | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5:12 | 2 |
| 6 | Estonia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2:9 | 0 |
Finland is the only undefeated team, but Belgium also has 10 points and remains immediately behind the hosts. Serbia has played one less match, and today's encounter with Denmark is particularly important for the distribution of places in the middle of the table.
Schedule for September 16
Today will mark the end of the group stage in Groups B and D, which cross over in the round of 16 in Sofia. Bulgaria will face Poland at 19:00, and before that, Israel and North Macedonia will determine the final standings at the bottom of Group B. In Cluj-Napoca, Turkey and Latvia are in a direct battle with great importance for the standings, while France finishes the group stage against host Romania.
Group B – Sofia
16:00 – Israel – North Macedonia
19:00 – Poland – Bulgaria
Group C – Tampere
17:00 – Denmark – Serbia
8:00 PM – Netherlands – Estonia
Group D – Cluj-Napoca
5:00 PM – Turkey – Latvia
8:00 PM – France – Romania
Group A – Modena
5:00 PM – Sweden – Slovakia
10:00 PM – Czech Republic – Slovenia
All times are Bulgarian.
For Bulgaria, the situation is clear – the match against Poland will determine whether our national team finishes second or third in Group B. After the matches in Cluj-Napoca, the final standings in Group D will also be known, and with it, the round of 16 pairings between the two groups.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
