Crunch matches to decide winners in the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League Finals
Preview
The 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League finals – both in the men’s and the women’s competition – are scheduled for this week, with the two winners crowned after the three matches.
In the women’s competition, nine teams fought for the two places in the final and it was Portugal and Finland which made the final cut, after the former side finished with four wins and one loss, while the latter was the only side to secure a 100% record, conceding only three sets on their way to the final.
The two sides met recently in Tournament 2, when Finland, the hosts in Tampere, secured a 3:1 win, conceding the first set, 15:25, before going to dominate the next ones, 28:26, 25:14 and 25:20.
Undoubtedly, Portugal will aim to turn back the tide, but they will start as underdogs in the doubleheader, needing a strong win in the first leg of the finals, which will take place on Thursday, 13 June, in Santo Tirso. The two sides will then move to Tampere, in Finland, where the decider is due to take place on Sunday, 16 June.
This is the second time when Portugal feature in the Finals of the CEV Volleyball Women’s European Silver League, after losing in straight sets against Sweden, 0:3, in 2022. Finland have a second place to their name as well, in 2017, when they lost against Ukraine, 1:3 and 1:3 in the final stage of the then European League.
In the men’s competition, with four teams starting the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League, the top two in the pool headed for the final, with Israel and Austria now clashing for the trophy.
Last year, Austria crashed out in the semi-finals, losing twice against Latvia, 0:3 and 0:3, but will try to secure their best performance in history in the competition, when they face the unbeaten Israel team.
Israel have six wins in six matches, including two wins against their rivals, a 3:2 win in Tournament 3, taking the first two sets, 25:23 and 25:17, before conceding the next two, 26:28 and 23:25. However, they stood their ground and clinched a 16:14 win in the fifth set.
On week 4, in Amsetten, hosts Austria conceded a 0:3 loss (20:25; 21:25; 15:25) against Israel, but they will also host the Finals, on Thursday, 13 June, when they hope to get even closer to Israel in this do-or-die clash.