Italy remain unbeaten, Greece claim second win as Pool A race reaches decisive stage

The race for the highly coveted places in the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men playoffs is reaching its decisive stage. After stunning the bronze medallists from the previous edition yesterday, Greece added a second - and extremely important - victory to their record, bringing them within touching distance of a place in the knockout stage. On Tuesday night, the spotlight turned to a clash between the two unbeaten teams in Pool A, as Italy faced Czechia. The Czechs pushed the hosts hard, but powered by Yuri Romanò and Mattia Bottolo, Italy prevailed 3-1 to remain unbeaten and stay at the top of the pool.

Greece vs Sweden 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 25-20)

Both Greece and Sweden arrived at EuroVolley with ambitions of progressing from the pool. After their surprise 3-1 victory over Slovenia a day earlier, the Hellenic side made a strong statement and entered the court determined to claim a second win, starting the match with a 7-4 lead. Once Sweden found their rhythm, they began to make an impact at the net, scoring five points from blocks in the set. The killing block from Patrik Johansson helped them move 11-10 ahead, and although Greece responded with a strong run to regain the lead at 16-12, Sweden kept chasing their opponents all the way to the finish. Led by Hampus Ekstrand, who scored five points, and Jakob Ekman, who added three, Sweden stayed within touching distance before Greece finally turned the pressure into a 25-23 set win. Dimitrios Mouchlias led all scorers in the opening set with eight points for Greece.

The fierce battle continued at the beginning of the second set, with Sweden, led by Axel Enlund (six points in the set) and Patrik Johansson (three) refusing to allow Greece to build any significant advantage and staying with their opponents point for point. The momentum shifted midway through the set when Lampros Pitakoudis stepped to the service line, helping Greece surge to a 17-13 lead. Dimitrios Mouchlias and Theodoros Voulkidis led Greece’s offensive efforts with seven and four points respectively. Sweden fought their way back to 21-20, once again making an impact with their powerful block, but Greece responded through excellent plays from Mouchlias and Alexandros Raptis. It was Raptis who delivered the decisive spike to close out the set 25-21 and put Greece one set away from victory.

Sweden, however, had not said the last word. Led by captain Jacob Link, they took an early 5-3 lead, before Patrik Johansson’s service run helped them extend it to 7-4. The roles had now reversed, with Greece forced to chase their opponents. A block from Spyridon Chandrinos on Enlund brought the Hellenic side within one point at 12-11, but Sweden quickly restored their advantage at 16-12. Both sides impressed with their defensive work and produced a series of thrilling rallies. Powered by Jakob Ekman and Axel Enlund, who scored five points apiece in the set, Sweden pulled further ahead to 20-14. With their reception working effectively throughout the set, setter Alfred Brink was able to make full use of the attacking options around him. Johansson, who contributed five points in the set, then delivered the decisive block to close it out 25-17 and extend the match to a fourth set.

After a closely contested start to the fourth set, Greece were the first to establish a two-point advantage at 12-10 following a block. Sweden, led by Axel Enlund, who scored an impressive 10 points in the set, quickly responded and turned the score in their favour. Angelos Markou, who contributed eight points in the set, once again proved to be a game-changer. His service run, including two aces, helped Greece move 19-16 ahead, and from that point the Hellenic side kept Sweden at a safe distance. Alexandros Raptis then delivered the decisive spike to seal the set 25-20 and complete Greece’s second consecutive victory.

Dimitrios Mouchlias topped the scoring for Greece with 20 points, including 18 kills at 53% success and two blocks. Alexandros Raptis added 15 points, while Lampros Pitakoudis contributed 12. Sweden’s Axel Enlund finished as the match’s top scorer with 24 points, including 20 kills and four blocks.

Czechia vs Italy 1-3 (25-23, 16-25, 20-25, 20-25)

The clash between the two unbeaten teams in Pool A began with an exchange of powerful plays, but it was Czechia who made the first move. Led by Patrik Indra, the Czechs raced to a 7-5 lead and extended it to 11-8 with Indra at the service line. Good plays from Mattia Bottolo and Yuri Romanò helped the hosts close the gap, before an ace from Giovanni Sanguinetti put Italy 13-12 in front. Czechia responded immediately through Indra, who scored seven points in the set at an outstanding 88% attack success rate, and Lukas Vašina, who added five, as they regained control and moved 18-15 ahead before extending the lead to 21-16. Italy attempted a late comeback and saved two set points, including one with an ace from Romanò. However, the Italian opposite then sent his next serve long, allowing Czechia to close out the set 25-23. The Czechs were almost flawless in attack, finishing the opening set with an impressive 80% success rate.

Inspired by the home crowd, Italy put tremendous pressure on Czechia from the service line, with Giovanni Sanguinetti and Yuri Romanò leading the charge. Two aces from Romanò helped the hosts race to a 9-2 lead. Irritated by losing the opening set, Italy played with full determination and took complete control of the court, extending their advantage to 18-9. Daniele Lavia contributed five points in the set, while Romanò was outstanding with eight, including five kills at a perfect 100% success rate. Italy maintained their dominance through the closing rallies, with Lavia delivering the final spike to seal the set 25-17 and level the match.

Italy carried their momentum into the third set, racing to an early 8-4 lead. Daniele Lavia then put pressure on Czechia from the service line (six points in the set, including two aces), as Italy extended their advantage to 11-5. Czechia, however, refused to give up. With Marek Sotola replacing Indra and Lukas Vašina leading the attack with five points in the set, they gradually fought their way back, cutting the deficit to just one point at 14-13 and reigniting a fierce battle for every rally. Italy responded when it mattered most. Back-to-back aces from Mattia Bottolo, who contributed seven points in the set, restored a four-point advantage at 22-18. The hosts closed out the set 25-20, with Romanò sealing it with an ace.

Bottolo and Lavia remained on scoring duty in the fourth set, helping the hosts make another strong start and move 7-4 ahead. Czechia, however, were not discouraged and continued to chase Italy, cutting the deficit to 15-14. Both sides fought fiercely for every ball, delivering a top-class display of volleyball in front of almost 4,500 fans at the Palapanini in Modena. With Italy leading 20-19, Giannelli stepped to the service line and sparked a decisive run, helping the hosts surge to 24-19. Bottolo then delivered the final blow, sealing the set 25-20 and completing Italy’s fourth consecutive victory. The result means the hosts remain the only unbeaten team in Pool A.

Yuri Romanò topped the scoring with 24 points, including five aces, two blocks and 17 kills at an impressive 68% success rate. Mattia Bottolo added 22 points, with 18 kills at 72% and four aces. For Czechia, Patrik Indra and Lukas Vašina finished with 12 points apiece.