Italy vs Poland Prediction 14 May 2024

In the first round of the Volleyball Nations League, contenders for a spot in the playoffs will face off, likely competing for the remaining spots at the Olympics. It's worth noting that the national teams will spend the first game week in Turkey. In this matchup, Italy is considered the favorite, having won 68% of their head-to-head matches. However, Poland should not be underestimated, as they reached the podium in a similar tournament last year.

In the previous edition of the Nations League, Italy barely made it to the playoffs. Therefore, it's not surprising that they were outplayed by Turkey in the quarterfinals, failing to win a single set. At the European Championship, the team had a winning streak until the semifinals, where Turkey once again proved superior. In the match for third place, Italy lost without putting up much resistance to the Netherlands. As a result, Italy missed out on the Olympics, with a crucial defeat coming from Poland. The team also fell behind the USA. A few days ago, they played a friendly match against Sweden and won convincingly.

Poland had a great performance in the previous Nations League, finishing in third place. They managed to defeat the USA in the bronze medal match after five sets. During the European Championship, the team comfortably progressed through the group stage but lost to Turkey 0:3. However, Poland secured a spot at the Olympic tournament. In the qualifiers, they topped their group on equal points with the USA. Last weekend, Poland played two friendly matches against the Netherlands, each going to five sets. They won the first match 5:0 but lost in the second match after five sets.