Israel stun Portugal in thriller as Poland cruise to another straight-sets victory

Israel delivered the first major shock of CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men in Pool B, overcoming a set deficit to edge Portugal 3-2 in a dramatic five-set thriller at Arena 8888 Sofia. In a high-stakes battle that could prove decisive for qualification to the knockout stages, Itamar Stein’s squad showed resilience down the stretch, capitalising on crucial Portuguese unforced errors to secure a vital victory. 

In the second match of the day, Poland cruised to another straight-sets victory, this time around outclassing the team of North Macedonia. The players coached by Nikola Grbic, the reigning #EuroVolleyM champions, remain the only side in Sofia that hasn't dropped a set this far.

Portugal vs Israel 2-3 (25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 22-25, 7-15)

Portugal took control early in the opening set, establishing a solid cushion to claim a 25–19 victory over Israel. After trading blows through 7-5, Portugal capitalised on Israeli hitting errors and extended their lead to 14-8, highlighted by outstanding defensive hustle from Lourenço Martins and libero Gonçalo Gomes. The Portuguese squad pushed the margin to 23-14 before Israel mounted a late five-point run to close to 24-19, but Portugal held firm to take the frame.

Portugal relied on a balanced offensive effort from Kelton Semedo Tavares and Alexandre Ferreira, who led the side with six points each in the opening frame. The Portuguese squad outperformed Israel in attack efficiency, posting a 44% execution rate compared to Israel's 37%. Portugal also held the edge at the service line with two aces to zero and led slightly in kill blocks at four to three. Clean execution made a massive difference throughout the set, as Portugal committed just two errors while Israel gave away seven.

Israel bounced back in the second set, showing greater composure and sharper execution to claim a 25-20 victory and level the match at 1-1. The teams traded blows early through 2-3 and remained locked together at 12-12 as Israel maintained a much more stable presence on court. Finding their rhythm in transition, Israel won the longer rallies to pull ahead 17-15 and 18-15, prompting a timeout from Portuguese head coach João José. Both sides elevated their offensive output, but Israel set the pace with an impressive 62% attack execution rate compared to Portugal’s 50%. Clean play ultimately proved to be the deciding factor: while Israel drastically reduced their unforced errors to just four, Portugal surrendered 10 error points during the set to hand Israel the edge.

Portugal regained their composure in the third set, relying on a dominant net presence. Tight blocking early on kept the score even at 4-4 before effective hitting from Filip Cveticanin and Lourenço Martins pushed Portugal ahead 7-5. Holding steady through 11-8 and 16-14, Portugal managed the floor well down the stretch to claim the set and put themselves one frame away from victory.

Israel refused to fold in the fourth set, exploiting Portuguese reception troubles to force a deciding tiebreaker with a 25-22 win. After an even start at 6-7, passing errors cost Portugal, allowing Israel to build a 10-7 cushion. The teams engaged in a tense cat-and-mouse battle through 13-14, but Israel held their edge to level the match at two sets apiece.

Itamar Stein’s squad carried that momentum straight into the fifth set, storming out to a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker. Keeping their composure while Portugal faltered with unforced errors, Israel pulled off the comeback victory to close out the fifth set 15-7 and seal the match 3-2.

Despite Portugal holding the statistical edge in kill blocks at 10 to five, and positive reception at 60% to 45%, unforced errors ultimately cost them a better outcome. Portugal surrendered 36 total error points across the five sets compared to 31 from Israel. Mark Rura anchored the Israeli attack with a match-high 23 points, closely supported by Shay Liberman with 21. Alexandre Ferreira led the effort for Portugal, finishing with 20 points in the defeat.

North Macedonia vs Poland 0-3 (19-25, 16-25, 13-25)

Poland extended their winning streak in Pool B outclassing North Macedonia in three sets, and remain the only team in the group that hasn’t dropped a single set. 

Poland fended off a spirited effort from North Macedonia in the opening frame, taking control late to seal a 25-19 victory. North Macedonia stood toe-to-toe with the reigning European champions early on, fighting back from 12-9 down to level the score at 12-12. The teams traded points through 16-15 amidst impressive defensive saves on both sides, but Poland's superior concentration proved decisive. Key pressure from the service line, highlighted by a Bartłomiej Lemański ace, allowed the Polish squad to push ahead 23-19 and close out the set.

Poland's superior execution across the board made the difference down the stretch. The Polish squad held the advantage in attack execution (55% to 37%) and dominated at the net with a strong blocking display. 

North Macedonia opened the second set with strong energy, jumping out to an early 4-1 lead and pushing hard through 9-7 and 11-9. However, the reigning European champions quickly switched on their engine, delivering superior firepower precisely when needed most. A decisive run flipped the script as Poland surged ahead 15-10 and continued to extend their advantage to 17-12 and 20-13. Although both sides exchanged spectacular monster blocks during physical rallies at the net, Poland fully established their rhythm down the stretch. Controlling the pace through 22-15, the Polish squad closed out the frame cleanly to move within one set of the sweep.

Nikola Grbić opted to rest several key starters in the third set, and the squad didn't miss a beat, carrying Poland smoothly to another convincing straight-sets victory. 

Overall, Poland dismantled their rivals 61% to 34% in attack, 12 to four blocks, 64% to 34% positive reception, and 4 to 0 aces.

Bartolomiej Boladz topped the charts with 13 points. 

CEV Managing Director Mr. Vuk Karanović attended both matches on Sunady, offering his support to the organising team and observing the action from the stands at Arena 8888 Sofia.