Match Preview
Bulgaria have no room for error after losing to Poland in their Week 3 opener, while China are trying to lift team morale ahead of the final tournament, which they will host.
China Looking for a Confidence Boost
China have already secured a place in the final tournament as the host nation, but their performances throughout the campaign have been disappointing. They currently sit 17th in the standings with just one win from ten matches.
Their only victory came in mid-June against bottom-placed Cuba, winning 3-0. Since then, the Asian side have suffered four consecutive defeats in Week 2 against Turkey (3-0), Belgium (3-1), Argentina (3-1) and Germany (3-1).
Earlier this week, China faced one of the tournament hosts and serious medal contenders, the United States, and suffered a convincing 3-0 defeat. The same outcome followed last night as they were comfortably beaten by France.
Bulgaria Running Out of Chances
Despite their impressive performances at the 2025 World Championship, Bulgaria are in danger of missing the Nations League final tournament for the second consecutive year. They currently occupy 10th place with a 5-4 record.
After some inconsistent results in Week 1, the Bulgarians opened Week 2 with a huge 3-2 victory over reigning world champions Italy. They then suffered another five-set defeat against hosts Slovenia but bounced back immediately with wins over Canada (3-2) and Ukraine (3-1).
The Balkan side failed to carry that momentum into Week 3, suffering a surprisingly comfortable 3-0 defeat to reigning champions Poland in the opening round.