Italy made a confident first step in the EuroVolley 2026 eliminations. The world champions defeated Denmark 3-0 (25:22, 25:16, 25:11) in front of 7580 spectators at "PalaVela" in Turin and qualified for the quarterfinals, where they will face Finland.
The Danes managed to put the hosts under pressure mainly in the first set. Italy gradually opened up a lead and reached 22:15, but strong serving brought the Scandinavians back into the fight. Simon Urenholt and Axel Larsen troubled the Italian reception, and Denmark closed the gap to just one point at 23:22. At the crucial moment, however, the Italian block stopped Mads Jensen, and the hosts closed the set 25:22.
From then on, the difference between the two teams began to become more and more palpable. Italy took an 11:7 lead in the second set, with Giovanni Sanguinetti being among the key figures in attack. Denmark tried to come back with a series of serves from Oscar Madsen and reduced the deficit to 16:12, but that was the last moment they managed to get seriously close. The Italians again increased their lead and reached 25:16.
The third set was entirely under the control of the hosts. Alessandro Michieletto reappeared in the game, and his serve helped for an early 4:1, and a little later the score became 12:5. For a moment, the hall held its breath when the MVP of the last World Championship hit the advertising boards during defensive actions, but fortunately, the incident resulted only in a shoulder scrape. Italy did not slow down, the block continued to work, and Denmark found it increasingly difficult to find a clear path to the court. Six of Italy's total 15 blocks in the match came in this part. Yuri Romano secured a match point with an ace, and then he himself ended the match - 25:11.
Romano finished as Italy's top scorer with 14 points - 11 from attack with 61% efficiency, two aces, and one block. Giovanni Sanguinetti and Pardo Matti added 11 points each, with Matti making an impressive six blocks. For Denmark, Mads Kyed Jensen also scored 14 points, 11 of which were in attack and three directly from serve.
The most significant difference, however, came above the net. Italy finished the match with 15 blocks in just three sets, and after the difficult end of the first part, practically did not allow Denmark to question the outcome of the match again.
With the victory, Italy continues its streak of appearances among the top eight at a European Championship. The next obstacle for the world champions is Finland, who reached the quarterfinals after a dramatic 3-2 (22:25, 25:16, 22:25, 25:23, 15:13) victory over Greece. The Italy - Finland match is on Wednesday in Turin.

photo:cev.eu