Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Volleyball Nations League match.
France continue their solid run in the Nations League group stage and remain in the race for a place in the top four. Cuba, meanwhile, are also in the play-off zone thanks to wins over Bulgaria and a surprise victory against world number one Poland, though their form overall has lacked consistency.
Cuba
Cuba have beaten group underdogs Serbia and the Netherlands, both by 3:1 scores, and pushed Ukraine to five sets in a narrow 2:3 loss. However, they have also suffered defeats to top-ten sides the United States and Slovenia, each by 1:3. While the team is showing signs of improvement, they continue to struggle against stronger opposition, despite their recent upset against Poland. In a recent friendly against France, Cuba managed to take just one set. Over the 2023–24 period, they dropped five sets across two matches against the same opponent.
France
France have maintained a consistently high level. Their only losses have come against Argentina (1:3), Japan (2:3), and Germany (1:3), while the remaining six matches were all convincing wins. The squad made easy work of Turkey, Slovenia, and tournament surprise package Ukraine, all in straight sets. In their recent 3:1 win over Cuba, France controlled the game from start to finish and secured the result with an 18-point margin.
Cuba vs France Prediction
Taking into account current form and the head-to-head record — France have won two of their last three meetings — a victory for France with a -8.5 handicap appears to be the most likely outcome.
