If you wish to publish an Italian translation of this article, any of our other articles, or ANY PART OF THEM, please cite the original source. PLAGIARISM IS ILLEGAL!
Ukraine continue to make their mark at CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men.
Raul Lozano’s side maintained their unbeaten record in Pool B on Monday, producing another convincing performance to defeat Portugal in straight sets (25:18, 25:18, 25:19) and strengthen their position among the group’s leading teams.
Portugal actually made the brighter start, opening the match with a 6–3 advantage, but the response from Ukraine was immediate.
With Oleh Plotnytskyi behind the service line, they levelled at 6–6 before their attacking game began to exploit gaps in the Portuguese middle. Ukraine moved ahead at 10–9 and, despite Portugal staying within touching distance at 14–11 and 15–14, the Ukrainians found another gear when it mattered most, closing out the opening set 25–18.
The numbers underlined just how efficiently Ukraine converted their opportunities. They out-attacked Portugal 59% to 40% and held a 4–1 advantage in aces. Portugal did have the edge at the net with three blocks to Ukraine’s one, but it was not enough to compensate for the difference in attack and serving.
The second set followed a similar pattern, although Ukraine established control much earlier. They raced to 5–1 and then 8–3, keeping Portugal under constant pressure from the service line and eventually opening a 20–14 lead.
Portugal continued to fight, with João José’s team refusing to let extended rallies slip away without a battle. But Ukraine were consistently more precise when the crucial points arrived, while a series of Portuguese errors made their task even more difficult.
The most striking statistic of the set came in reception. Ukraine produced an extraordinary 75% positive reception, compared with just 26% for Portugal. That stability gave the Ukrainians the platform to attack at 57%, against Portugal’s 50%, while Ukraine added two more aces and Portugal failed to score from the service line.
Portugal finally managed to make the third set a genuine contest. The teams remained level at 12–12 before Ukraine created the decisive two-point gap. From there, they kept their composure and completed another straight-sets victory.
Across the match, the difference was again visible in the fundamental numbers. Ukraine finished with a 59% attacking efficiency against Portugal’s 45%, while their positive reception stood at 59% compared with 29% for their opponents. The service battle was even more emphatic: Ukraine collected eight aces to Portugal’s two.
At the centre of it all was captain Oleh Plotnytskyi. The Ukrainian star delivered another influential performance, finishing as the match’s top scorer with 19 points to his name and helping his team maintain their perfect start.
For Ukraine, the challenge now is to preserve the same level as the tournament moves deeper into the group stage. For Portugal, there were at least signs of the fighting spirit that João José wants from a team built around a new generation.
“I don’t believe there is anything we need to improve in our game. We just need to keep playing like we did up to this point and we will achieve our goals,” said Ukraine’s Dmytro Yanchuk.
Portugal’s Lourenço Martins acknowledged the quality of the opposition while looking ahead to what his young team can still build: “We play against really strong teams. We have a new generation of players in our team. I think we can improve our level a bit but it’s not easy against such strong opponents. We just need to enjoy a little bit on the court and be positive all the time and hope for the best.”
MORE TO FOLLOW
__________________
🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | Monday, September 14, 2026
POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Slovakia – Czech Republic
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Greece
🏐| POOL A STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Italy 9
2. Slovenia 6
3. Czech Republic 5
4. Sweden 1
5. Slovakia 0
6. Greece 0
👉🏼POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Portugal 3-0 (25:18, 25:18, 25:19)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Israel 3-1 (23:25, 25:22, 25:15, 25:20)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
🏐| POOL B STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Ukraine 12
2. Poland 9
3. Bulgaria 9
4. Israel 2
5. Portugal 1
6. North Macedonia 0
POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Serbia – The Netherlands
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Estonia – Belgium
🏐| POOL C STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Finland 8
2. Denmark 6
3. Belgium 4
4. Serbia 3
5. Netherlands 0
6. Estonia 0
POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Germany – Switzerland
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Romania – Türkiye
🏐| POOL D STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. France 9
2. Germany 8
3. Romania 4
4. Türkiye 3
5. Latvia 3
6. Switzerland 0
__________________
NEXT GAMES: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Greece – Sweden
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Czech Republic – Italy
POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | North Macedonia – Portugal
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Ukraine
POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Belgium – Denmark
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Finland
POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Latvia – Switzerland
• 20.00 (Local Time) | France – Germany
__________________
👀|QUICK LINKS
• EuroVolley 2026 – Calendar
• EuroVolley 2026 – All News
• All International news 🗞️
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram
__________________