Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Volleyball World Championship match.
The quarter-finals of the World Championship get underway with Italy taking on Belgium, who delivered one of the shocks of the group stage.
Italy
After their 2:3 defeat to Belgium, the Italians responded in ruthless fashion, sweeping aside Ukraine (25:21, 25:22, 25:18) and Argentina (25:23, 25:20, 25:22). The trio of Alessandro Michieletto, Yuri Romano and Mattia Bottolo combined for 30+ points in both matches, leaving opponents with no way back. Italy have also tightened up defensively, averaging seven successful blocks per match in those wins.
Belgium
Belgium topped their group and faced a straightforward test against Finland in the first knockout round (25:21, 25:17, 25:21). Yet even in such a one-sided contest, flaws were exposed. Concentration remains an issue – they committed 18 errors, and only Finland’s lack of quality spared them. Their serving is another weak point, with not a single ace registered in that match.
Italy vs Belgium Prediction
Italy have looked a different team since that group-stage loss, raising their level significantly and showing far greater balance. With the extra motivation of avenging that defeat, the gulf in class should be too wide for Belgium to handle.
