The Brazilian men’s volleyball team faces a crucial commitment in the Nations League. After losing their unbeaten record in their first defeat to Ukraine, the team led by Bernardinho is looking to recover against Italy. The clash takes place this Friday (26), starting at 3pm (Brasília time), with live broadcast on sportv2 and full coverage on ge, in the stage that takes place in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Brazil had started their journey in the Nations League at home, in Brasília, undefeated. However, the Ljubljana stage started with a setback. The 3 sets to 1 defeat to Ukraine, with scores of 29 to 27, 22 to 25, 25 to 22 and 25 to 21, was marked by both individual and collective failures by the team coached by Bernardinho, last Wednesday. Despite the adverse result, the player Darlan stood out by scoring 26 points in the match.
In the current format of the initial phase of the Nations League, 18 teams compete, and each plays a total of 12 matches. The eight best teams advance to the quarter-finals, which take place in a single location, with China already guaranteed to be the host country. After the duel against Italy, Brazil will still face Slovenia and Canada in Ljubljana. The Brazilian team, which lost its lead and now occupies third place, is looking for crucial points; Japan is first with 14 points, while Italy, the next opponent, is fifth with 10, which makes the direct confrontation essential for the recovery in the table.
The Brazilian team’s schedule foresees a return to the courts between July 15th and 19th, after the conclusion of the Slovenian stage, with games in Chicago, in the United States. In this final qualifying phase, the opponents will be France, the United States, Poland and China. Brazil, which already won the VNL in 2021, aspires to its second title, seeking to equal the feat of Russia, France and Poland, who have two victories in the tournament.
Details of the clash between Brazil and Italy: where to watch and times
- Game date: Friday, June 26
- Departure time: 3pm Brasília time
- Event location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Broadcast channel: sportv2