Italy recorded a second consecutive victory in the Fipav Cup Men Elite, decisively defeating Germany 3:0 (25:19, 25:16, 25:22) in front of nearly 4400 spectators in the hallPalaVelain Turin. Thus, Ferdinando De Giorgi's team topped the standings in the tournament, which serves as preparation for the World Championship.
For Bulgaria, this result has special significance, because Germany will be our first opponent at the World Championship in the Philippines – the match is scheduled for September 13.
Match Progress
First Set:Italy started better and quickly took the lead (5:2), and Botolo's stability in attack (5 points with 83% success rate) made the difference. A mistake by Georg Grozer sealed the final 25:19.
Second Set:The "Azzurri" again set the pace and, after a series of good blocks, took a 14:9 lead. Opposite hitter Rychlicki finished the set with 6 points and 78% efficiency – 25:16.
Third Set:Germany played more evenly, but the serves of Michieletto and Sani tipped the scales in favor of the "Squadra Azzurra". The Italians held on to their lead and won 25:22, thus closing the match in three sets.
🇮🇹 Italy Points 🇩🇪 Germany Points Balaso (L) - Zimmermann (S) - Не влезли в игра: Сберто̀ли, Лавиа, Сангуинети, Русо, Паче, Поро - Не влезли в игра: Крик, Мохвинкел - Rychlicki 16 Grozer 14 Botolo 11 Brehme 7 Michieletto 6 Röhrs 7 Galassi 6 Krage 4 Anzani 6 Brand 2 Giannelli 4 Reichert 2 Sani 1 Burggraf 1
The Italians demonstrated squad depth and even participation from everyone, while Germany relied almost entirely on the experience of Grozer, who, however, was neutralized by the hosts' block.
The clash between Italy and Germany showed that our first opponent at the World Cup is not in optimal form and displays fluctuations in reception and attack organization. This is a positive sign for our national team before the start of the World Cup, where the match against "Die Mannschaft" could prove decisive for advancing from the group. However, let's not forget that there are two weeks until September 13th, which is ample time for the "Bundesteam" to reach better athletic shape.
photo:FIPAV
