Match Preview
Turkey are slightly ahead in terms of the standings, but they have struggled in recent head-to-head clashes against Serbia, losing the last two Nations League meetings. This match will be played in Belgrade.
Serbia Running Out of Time
Serbia cannot afford another setback if they want to qualify for the Nations League 2026 final tournament, entering this ninth round in 11th place with a 4-4 record.
After a strong start in June, they faced a difficult schedule in Week 2. They opened with a 3-1 defeat to undefeated Japan, followed by a 3-1 victory over bottom-placed Cuba, before suffering a heavy 3-0 loss to France.
The Serbians showed decent resistance against gold medal contenders the United States in their most recent appearance but eventually lost 3-1 in late June, collecting just 55 points across the three sets they dropped.
Turkey Chasing Another Final Tournament Appearance
Turkey are in a slightly better position ahead of these decisive matches, collecting five victories from eight rounds and currently sitting seventh in the standings.
Their Week 2 results were impressive, starting with a 3-0 victory over struggling China before suffering a dramatic 3-2 defeat to last year’s champions Poland after narrowly forcing a tiebreak, which they lost 15-11.
The Crescent Stars bounced back immediately by recovering from a two-set deficit against Argentina to win 3-2, before cruising past Belgium 3-0 in their most recent appearance.