Match Preview
A battle of David and Goliath is on this Wednesday as one of the biggest surprise packages Finland, take on gold medal contenders Italy. Can the Scandinavian side cause an upset?
Italy Dominating Since the Opening Round
Italy started the tournament with straight-set victories against Sweden and Greece, while being slightly more challenged by Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with both games ending in their favor with a 3-1 scoreline.
The Azzurri locked horns with Slovenia, bronze medal winners from the previous European Championship, and claimed another 3-2 victory to wrap up the group stages.
They looked unstoppable in the Round of 16 against underdogs Denmark, winning in straight sets on Sunday while allowing just 49 points in total.
Finland Producing One Surprise After Another
Finland are one of the most pleasant surprise packages at the European Championship 2026 so far, topping their group after causing a couple of upsets with a 4-1 record.
After beating Denmark in straight sets in the opening match, the Finns upset Belgium in a five-set thriller, then cruised past Serbia 3-0 and the Netherlands 3-2. Then, after already securing first place, they lost to Estonia 3-2.
They were on the edge of elimination in the Round of 16, trailing twice against Greece but finding the strength to complete a comeback and win 3-2 in the tiebreaker.
Their biggest achievement so far was fourth place at the European Championship in 2007, and they also got promoted to the Volleyball Nations League for the 2027 edition.