Argentina-Serbia, for the round of 16 of the Volleyball World Cup: Méndez’s men are looking for a feat

The men’s volleyball team faces Serbianone of the best teams of the first phase, in one of the two matches of the day that will close the action of the Round of 16 of the World Championship in Poland and Slovenia. The match will be played at 12:30 in our country in Gliwice, Poland, and will be televised on ESPN3 and Star +.

In case of victory, the blue and black and white team, who would recover for this match Ezekiel Palacios, who missed the opening round due to a knee injury, will enter the top eight in a tournament of this level for the first time in 20 years. The last time he got it was in 2002, in the edition in which he was the guest.

In the quarter-finals he will meet the winner of the duel who will play, from 16:00, Iranwho beat him on his debut in the group stage, and Brazilhis classic South American rival, which he beat last year in the match for bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

Argentina, tenth in the world, played the first phase of the tournament in Ljubljana, Slovenia and did not perform well. They lost their first two games 3-2, against the Iranians (9th in the standings) and against Holland (13th), without playing well.

He arrived with no margin for error in the duel with Egypt (20th), in which he had to overcome a gap of two sets to one to prevail in five and secure third place in the zone. The positive in that game went from low to high and closed on a good level.

He qualified for the playoffs as the best of the four third parties who entered the second round, along with the first and second from each zone, and had to move to Gliwice to play the round of 16.

Serbia, ranked 11th, have won all three games in their area, although they have been lucky enough to play against lower-ranking rivals. Ukraine (15 °), Puerto Rico (29 °) and Tunisia (19th).

In recent history, Argentina takes advantage of this to his rival this Tuesday. After the match in the second group stage of the Italy-Bulgaria World Cup 2018, with the victory of the Europeans, they faced each other four more times. Three times, in the meetings of the League of Nations. In the starting rounds of 2019 and 2021, Argentina won 3-0 and in this year’s round, on June 10, Serbia won 3-0.

The last precedent dates back to a few weeks ago, on the first date of the friendly home match in which the Albiceleste team closed its preparation for this World Cup. In the match the national team was clearly superior and won 3-1, with a good level of play.

The meetings of Argentina and Brazil will finish defining the intersections of the quarter-finalsThat will start on Wednesday in Ljubljana, Poland.

At 12:30 in our country they will clash Italywho won 3 to 1 to CubaY Francewhich exceeded by 3 to 2 in Japan. And at 4pm Sloveniawinner in the octave of Germany for 3 to 1, he will have to face Ukrainewho gave the big surprise of the tournament by beating 3-0 Holland.

Thursday’s session, which will be played in Gliwice, will open at 12:30 with the clash in which Argentina could be the protagonist and will close with the one in which they will play, at 16:00. Polandcurrent two-time champion and world number one, e United States of America. The Europeans beat Tunisia 3-0 in the second round and the North Americans suffered to defeat Turkey 3-2.