Match Preview
Italy have no room for error after losing to Japan yesterday, and they now face an unmotivated Belgium side that also opened Week 3 with a defeat.
Belgium Out of the Playoff Race
Belgium are officially out of the playoff race after nine rounds, currently sitting 14th in the standings with a 3-6 record.
They opened Week 2 with a 3-2 defeat to Poland before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over China. However, they then slipped to consecutive losses against Germany (3-1) and Turkey (3-0).
Belgium’s playoff hopes ended yesterday after an unexpected 3-0 defeat to then winless and bottom-placed Cuba, arguably their worst performance of the season.
Italy Desperate to Stay in Contention
Italy are hoping to improve on last year's Nations League silver medal, but their campaign has been inconsistent, leaving them seventh in the standings with a disappointing 5-4 record.
The Azzurri endured a difficult Week 2, suffering defeats to Bulgaria (3-2) and Ukraine (3-0). They finished June with further losses against stronger opponents, Brazil (3-1) and Slovenia (3-1).
Their Week 3 opener came yesterday against table leaders Japan. Italy matched their opponents for four sets but eventually lost the deciding tiebreak 15-12.