Finland survive Greece thriller to reach EuroVolley 2026 Quarterfinals!

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Finland are through to the quarterfinals of the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men’s Championship after edging Greece in a thrilling five-set encounter at Palavela in Torino on Sunday.
The co-hosts fought back twice from behind before sealing a 3–2 victory (22:25, 25:16, 22:25, 25:23, 15:13), becoming the first team to secure a place in the last eight after Poland, Germany and Romania.
The result ended Finland’s wait to return to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013, while Greece saw their hopes of reaching their best European Championship finish since 1987 come to an end.

Greece made the stronger start, immediately putting Finland under pressure with a 5–1 lead behind Angelos Markou’s service run. Markou was also the driving force in attack, scoring seven points in the opening set at a 67% success rate. Greece maintained their advantage through 14–7, but Finland gradually found their rhythm. Joonas Jokela and the Marttila brothers helped close the gap, with Luka Marttila’s ace bringing the Finns within one point at 21–20. Greek head coach Konstantinos Christofidelis called a timeout, and his team responded in the closing exchanges. Markou then delivered the decisive attack to give Greece the opening set, 25–22.
Finland responded emphatically in the second set, using their blocking strength to establish an early 4–1 lead. Their work at the net became the defining feature of the set, with six block points helping them maintain control at 7–3 and later 18–11. Nooa Marttila was particularly influential, scoring seven points, including six kills at a 60% success rate. Jokela contributed three blocks, while Mika Haapaniemi added two, making life increasingly difficult for the Greek attackers. Finland remained composed to level the match with a convincing 25–16 win.
The third set again belonged to Greece in the early stages. Markou produced another effective service run, including an ace, as the Hellenic side moved 4–1 ahead. Finland responded through Luka Marttila and Jokela, while Severi Savonsalmi’s ace reduced the deficit to 8–7. Greece then rebuilt a four-point advantage at 15–11, but Finland continued to apply pressure. The Marttila brothers combined for 11 points in the set, helping their team close the gap to 15–13.
Markou and Alexandros Raptis restored Greece’s control at 18–14, and two consecutive aces from Nooa Marttila brought Finland back within one point at 19–18. Greece, however, maintained their attacking efficiency throughout the decisive exchanges. Raptis produced eight kills at an outstanding 80% success rate, while Markou converted all four of his attempts. Lampros Pitakoudis eventually closed the set with a decisive spike, handing Greece a 25–22 victory and a 2–1 lead.
With their tournament on the line, Finland entered the fourth set with renewed focus. The teams remained level at 10–10 in a fiercely contested battle, with neither side able to establish a significant advantage. Consecutive attacks from Luka Marttila and Jokela helped Finland move ahead 16–13, but Greece immediately responded through Markou and Athanasios Protopsaltis to restore parity.
The tension increased as the set approached its conclusion. Greece appeared capable of completing the match, yet Finland continued to press with greater consistency. Two missed attacks from Markou proved costly in the closing stages, allowing the hosts to secure the set 25–23 and force a deciding fifth set.
Finland carried their momentum into the decider, opening with a 3–1 lead before extending their advantage to 7–4. Greece refused to surrender, with Pitakoudis and Protopsaltis helping the team fight back to 7–7. From that point onward, the match became a battle of composure, with every point carrying the weight of a quarterfinal place.
Joonas Jokela and Luka Marttila each contributed four points in the deciding set, keeping Finland in contention during the tense final exchanges. It was Luka who ultimately delivered the decisive attack, sealing the fifth set 15–13 and sending Finland into the quarterfinals.

The Marttila brothers once again led Finland’s scoring efforts: Nooa finished with 21 points, including through 46% in attack, three aces and one block, while Luka added 19 points through 51%, alongside two aces.
Jokela also scored 20 points, with as many as six blocks and a 54% attack success rate.
For Greece, Markou finished as the leading scorer with 20 points too.

“It feels freaking good to be in the quarterfinals. Of course, we were the ‘upperdogs’ for this match, but we didn’t start and handle it well at the beginning. There were really a lot of emotions that we needed to push through in this difficult match and win, and we can’t wait for the next match,” Jonas Jokela said after the match.

Finland’s dramatic victory keeps their EuroVolley campaign alive on home soil, while the quarterfinal stage now awaits a team that demonstrated both attacking quality and resilience under pressure.

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🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | ROUND OF 16

Saturday September 19, 2026
📍Arena 8888 Sofia
•16.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Latvia 3-0 (25:17, 25:16, 25:16)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Germany – Bulgaria 3-2 (21:25, 21:25, 25:19, 25:23, 15:12)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

Sunday September 20, 2026
📍Palavela Torino
👉🏼 16.00 (Local Time) | Finland – Greece 3-2 (22:25, 25:16, 22:25, 25:23, 15:13)
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Italy – Denmark 3–0 (25:22, 25:16, 25:11)

📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Romania 0-3 (22:25, 21:25, 28:30)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | France – Portugal 3-0 (25:21, 25:22, 25:21)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

Monday September 21, 2026
📍Palavela Torino
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Belgium – Czech Republic 3-1 (20:25, 26:24, 25:14, 25:15)
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Serbia

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