Finland and Belgium at the top of Pool C after their wins over The Netherlands and Denmark

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Belgium had every reason to feel the effects of a demanding schedule, but somehow found the energy when it mattered most: less than 12 hours after their crucial victory over Estonia, they returned to the court in Tampere and came from behind to defeat Denmark 3–1 (19:25, 25:20, 25:19, 25:23).

It was a genuine team effort, especially considering the circumstances. Belgium had already played the previous evening, while Denmark entered the match after a day off, and the difference was evident from the opening points.
Denmark came out aggressively and turned the net into a wall.
Rasmus Mikelsons was particularly effective, producing four kill blocks in the opening set and repeatedly shutting down Belgium’s attackers.
Coach Emanuele Zanini responded by starting Basil Dermaux in place of Ferre Reggers, but Belgium could not find the rhythm that had carried them past Estonia. Denmark took advantage and closed the first set 25–19.

The response came immediately in the second.

With CEV President Roko Sikirić watching from the stands, Reggers returned to the court and made an instant impact. The Belgian opposite produced 10 points in the set alone, helping the Red Dragons turn the momentum around. Denmark still remained within touching distance at 15–18, but Belgium stretched the gap to 20–15 and levelled the match at 25–20.

From there, Belgium looked increasingly comfortable.

The third set remained balanced through the opening exchanges, with the teams tied at 3–3 and Denmark holding a narrow 8–7 advantage. Then the Red Dragons began to find contributions from across the court. Their collective attacking effort opened a 16–11 lead, and Denmark could not find another response.
Belgium closed the set 25–19.

The fourth followed a similar script. Neither side managed to establish a decisive advantage early on, and the score remained level at 18–18. That was when Belgium’s biggest weapons stepped forward again. Reggers and Sam Deroo delivered the decisive attacks, allowing the Red Dragons to finish the match 25–23.

Reggers ended the match with 25 points, while Deroo added 14, but the final score told only part of the story. Belgium repeatedly found answers from different areas of the court, exactly what was required after such a short recovery period.

The victory temporarily puts Belgium level with Finland at the top of Pool C, although the Netherlands–Estonia match still had to be played before the picture could become clearer.

For Reggers, the key was simply finding enough energy to respond after a difficult opening: “Yesterday we had the proof that all the matches could be tight, and also this afternoon Denmark started strong but then we found the energies to come back and close it.”

And then, The Netherlands pushed Finland all the way in a five-set battle at the Nokia Arena, but the home side eventually held their nerve to win 3–2 (18:25, 25:21, 24:26, 25:20, 15:11) in front of another spectacular Finnish crowd of 6,160.
On paper, it was a meeting between the top and bottom teams in Pool C, with Finland sitting on eight points and the Netherlands on one. Nothing about the opening set, however, suggested that difference would matter.

The Dutch came out with remarkable confidence, immediately putting the hosts under pressure and opening an 11–6 lead. Finland struggled to close the gap and, despite the encouragement of the home crowd, were still five points behind at 16–21. The Netherlands remained composed and completed the surprise start at 25–18.
The second set brought the first response from the hosts: the teams stayed together at 10–10 before the Netherlands managed to create a small advantage, but Finland gradually regained control. At 16–16, the Marttila brothers began to make their presence felt. Luka and Nooa helped Finland turn the momentum around, and the home side levelled the match with a 25–21 finish.
The Netherlands were particularly effective at the net, keeping the Finnish attack under pressure and making the third set another extremely tight contest. The score remained almost point for point all the way to 19–20, with neither side showing any major weakness in reception or blocking.
At 24–24, the set could have gone either way. This time, it was Twan Wiltenburg who made the difference for the Dutch, producing the decisive attacks as the Netherlands edged ahead again to win 26–24 and move within one set of a major upset.
Finland, however, refused to let the opportunity slip away in front of their home supporters, exploding into the fourth set with a 6–1 lead and finally managed to establish the control they had been missing. Veikka Lindqvist, playing an entire match for the first time in the tournament, was outstanding in attack and contributed nine points as Finland forced the match into a deciding set with a 25–20 win.
Then came the tie-break.
The 6,160 fans inside the Nokia Arena continued to push Finland forward, and the hosts responded with the quality expected from the team leading Pool C. Luka and Nooa Marttila once again provided the decisive attacking power, helping Finland maintain control through the closing exchanges and seal the match 15–11.

“It was really hard to play at this high level for all the fifth set, but we stayed together and thanks also to the support of the fans we won this important match,” said Lindqvist.

Finland survive a serious scare, but the result keeps them firmly at the top of Pool C. For the Netherlands, meanwhile, the five-set performance against the pool leaders offered another reminder that their position in the standings tells only part of the story.

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🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | Tuesday, September 15, 2026

POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Greece – Sweden
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Czech Republic – Italy

🏐| POOL A STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Italy 9
2. Czech Republic 8
3. Slovenia 6
4. Greece 3
5. Sweden 1
6. Slovakia 0

POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | North Macedonia – Portugal 0-3 (13:25, 20:25, 20:25)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Ukraine 3-0 (25:20, 25:13, 25:22)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

🏐| POOL B STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Poland 12
2. Ukraine 12
3. Bulgaria 9
4. Portugal 4
5. Israel 2
6. North Macedonia 0

👉🏼POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Belgium – Denmark 3-1 (19:25, 25:20, 25:19, 25:23)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Finland 2–3 (25:18, 21:25, 26:24, 20:25, 11:15)

🏐| POOL C STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Finland 10
2. Belgium 10
3. Denmark 6
4. Serbia 5
5. Netherlands 2
6. Estonia 0

POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Latvia – Switzerland 1-3 (22:25, 19:25, 25:16, 22:25)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | France – Germany 3-0 (25:21, 25:17, 25:19)

🏐| POOL D STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. France 12
2. Germany 11
3. Romania 7
4. Türkiye 3
5. Latvia 3
6. Switzerland 3

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NEXT GAMES: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Sweden – Slovakia
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Czech Republic – Slovenia
POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Israel – North Macedonia
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Bulgaria
POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Denmark – Serbia
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Estonia
POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Türkiye – Latvia
• 20.00 (Local Time) | France – Romania

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