Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
After securing two victories in the group stage, Italy have advanced to the round of 16, where they will take on China, who have consistently struggled against elite opposition and have not recorded a win against a top-ranked side since 2021.
Italy (women)
Italy are currently ranked 7th in the world. In recent years, they have shown glimpses of their potential, claiming bronze at the 2023 World Championship and silver at the 2016 Olympic Games. In the group stage, the squad defeated Singapore (22nd in the rankings) and New Zealand (15th). Their only setback was a narrow 15:19 loss to Australia, one of the top six teams. Historically, Italy have dominated this match-up, winning each of their last six encounters with China, five of those by at least a three-goal margin.
China (women)
China are ranked 9th in the world and have struggled to make a significant impact in major competitions. Since 2017, they have not placed higher than 10th at any World Championship. In the current tournament, their only win came against Argentina (21st), while they endured heavy losses to the USA (3rd) and the Netherlands (2nd), with goal deficits of eight and six respectively. The 29:9 victory over Argentina remains their only success this year, having lost all of their other five matches.
Italy (women) vs China (women) Prediction
A win for Italy appears the most likely outcome, as they are expected to comfortably dispatch the squad, who have only managed occasional successes. A winning margin of at least two goals seems probable.
