Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Volleyball World Championship match.
In the second match of the opening day of the knockout round, Poland face Canada. They are overwhelming favourites, although there is always scope for an upset in knockout volleyball.
Poland
Poland won their group without difficulty, seeing off the Netherlands (3:1) along the way. That match again underlined where this team’s strength lies. Bartosz Kurek, Kamil Semeniuk and Tomasz Fornal combined for 49 points, and they were not short of support: three more players chipped in with at least five points each.
Canada
The team’s toughest group opponent was Turkey, a team who have not been especially consistent, and they failed to offer resistance in a 0:3 defeat. The reason is straightforward: Canada do not have clear leaders in the line-up. In the decisive moments nobody takes responsibility. As a result, no player reached double figures.
Poland vs Canada Prediction
Poland can fairly be called the strongest national team in the world at present. They are among the leading favourites for the tournament and they clearly do not plan to expend much energy in the quarter-finals. We expect a comfortable, routine win.
