Germany won a valuable three points against outsider Chile in Pool E of the World Championship in the Philippines. The "Bundesteam" prevailed with 3:0 (25:17, 25:23, 25:21) in Pasay City, but the victory did not come easily at all. After a perfect first game for Grozer and company, the Chileans put up serious resistance, forcing the Germans to rely on experience, composure and individual class.

Match flow

• First set (25:17): Germany started convincingly, dominating in attack and on serve. Chile had no answer against Grozer's strong serve and the quick attacks through the middle.

• Second set (25:23): The most dramatic part of the match. Chile took the lead with 9:6, 12:10 and 16:14, but the Germans managed to equalize at 20:20. In the crucial points, Grozer showed his experience with a strong serve (Bulgaria remembers these serves from as far back as 2012) and attacks down the line. Krick finished the set through the middle for 2:0.
  

  
  

• Third set (25:21): The South Americans took the lead again at the beginning, but at 15:16 Germany took control. At the end, Rors brought match point, and everything ended after a double block against Vicente Parraguirre.

Match statistics

The Germans prevailed mainly thanks to a more efficient attack (+9 points difference) and fewer mistakes. The block was equal, which underlines how difficult the rallies were to unravel.

Chile surprised with better reception, but Germany compensated with more organized play and better decisions from the setter.

Top Scorers

The veteran Grozer was once again the leader of the German team with his 19 points, while for Chile, Paragire and Aravena carried the main burden in attack.
With this victory, Germany is third in the group, as they have a worse point ratio than Slovenia and Bulgaria, who are playing today.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov