Ukraine face no problems against Portugal, Bulgaria back on the winning path

Ukraine remain unbeaten at the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men as on Monday the players of head coach Raul Lozano outclassed Portugal in straight sets in Pool B. In the next matchup of the day in Arena 8888 Sofia, hosts Bulgaria prevailed over Israel 3-1 in front of almost 10,000 fans.

Ukraine vs Portugal 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-19)

Portugal opened the set with strong energy, building an early 6-3 lead, but Ukraine quickly turned the tide. With Oleh Plotnytskyi at the service line, Ukraine erased the gap to level at 6-6 before exploiting Portugal's middle defence to take a 10-9 advantage. Every time Portugal tried to push back - closing to 14-11 and 15-14 - Ukraine answered with decisive execution, pulling away late to secure a 25-18 set win.

Ukraine's offensive power made the difference, out-attacking Portugal 59% to 40% and winning the service battle with a 4-to-1 edge in aces, which effectively offset Portugal's slight 3-to-1 advantage in blocks.

Ukraine carried their momentum straight into the second set, racing out to an early 5-1 advantage and extending it to 8-3. Continuing to apply unrelenting pressure from the service line, the Ukrainians kept Portugal on the back foot and built a comfortable 20-14 cushion.

While a series of unforced errors hampered Portugal, João José's squad refused to back down, pouring everything into extended rallies. Both teams displayed remarkable defensive grit in high-intensity exchanges, but Ukraine consistently found the final touch to convert the crucial points down the stretch, bringing them one step closer to securing the overall victory.

Ukraine’s dominant second-set run was powered by extraordinary pass control, posting a staggering 75% positive reception to Portugal’s 26%. This platform allowed Ukraine to out-attack Portugal 57% to 50%, while adding two more aces and keeping Portugal empty-handed from the service line.

The third set remained a tight, point-for-point battle up to 12-12, until Ukraine finally carved out a decisive two-point break to take full control and seal the straight-sets victory. 

Across the entire match, Ukraine's superior baseline-to-net execution proved the difference, out-attacking Portugal 59% to 45% and overwhelming them in positive reception by 59% to 29%. Driven by an 8-to-2 advantage in aces, Ukraine was led by captain Oleh Plotnytskyi, who put on a stellar performance to finish as the match's top scorer with 19 points.

Bulgaria vs Israel 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-20)

Bulgaria set an early pace with two quick blocks to lead 6-4, but Israel stayed close and edged ahead 13-12. The Bulgarians rallied to build a 22-18 cushion, but late unforced errors created tension on the floor, allowing Israel to mount a fierce comeback. Despite a late push by Bardarov to narrow it to 23-22, Israel’s disciplined defense held firm to snatch the frame 25-23.

Superior attack execution made the difference for Israel, out-attacking Bulgaria 65% to 54%. Although Bulgaria held a 3-to-0 edge in blocks, their nine unforced errors - against Israel’s six - ultimately handed the opening set to the visitors.

Bulgaria exploded out of the gate in the second set behind early aces from Iliya Petkov and Aleks Nikolov, forcing an Israeli timeout at 5-1. Israel quickly erased the deficit to 6-6, setting off a tense "cat and mouse" battle filled with long rallies through 14-14 and 20-20. Aleks Nikolov stepped up to take charge for the hosts down the stretch, driving Bulgaria ahead 22-20 before landing a clutch ace at 23-20 to seal the set 25-22 and tie the match.

Bulgaria maintained their high-level offensive consistency with a 54% attack execution, while Israel's efficiency dropped sharply to 35%. Baseline power again tilted the scale in favour of the hosts, as Bulgaria out-served Israel with four aces to two, while both sides traded physical plays at the net with two kill blocks apiece.

Bulgaria asserted complete dominance in the third set, taking early command at 14-8 and continuing to pull away to 17-9 and 18-10. Controlling every facet of the game, the hosts widened the margin further when Simeon Nikolov landed an ace to make it 19-10, ultimately closing out a comfortable 25-15 set victory to take a 2-1 match lead.

The Bulgarian offense reached an extraordinary level, executing at an outstanding 73% in attack compared to Israel’s 39%. Disciplined ball control was equally decisive, as Bulgaria committed just three own errors in the set while capitalising on 10 unforced mistakes from the visitors.

Bulgaria carried their momentum seamlessly into the fourth set, taking immediate control with early leads of 4-1, 7-3, and 12-6. Operating with high confidence and relentless pressure, a flying Bulgarian squad never let Israel back into the contest, comfortably closing out the set 25-20 to lock up a 3-1 match victory.

Bulgaria's overall dominance was anchored by a commanding performance at the net, out-blocking Israel 10 to three, while out-executing them 59% to 45% in attack and maintaining a sharp 49% to 27% advantage in positive reception. Three players shared match-high scoring honors with 18 points apiece: Denislav Bardarov, who hit an impressive 62% in attack, Aleksandar Nikolov, who executed at 52%, and Mark Rura, who led Israel's effort with a solid 57% efficiency.