Italy sweep Denmark to reach EuroVolley 2026 Quarterfinals

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Italy have reached the quarterfinals of the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men’s Championship after defeating Denmark 3–0 (25:22, 25:16, 25:11) in Torino.
The world champions were made to work in the opening set by a fearless Danish side, but gradually asserted their quality to secure a convincing victory and continue their campaign towards another European title.

For Denmark, the match represented only their second appearance in the European Championship knockout stage. Their previous qualification came in 2013, when they hosted the tournament.
Italy, by contrast, have established themselves as regulars in the last eight, reaching the quarterfinals in each of the past seven editions.

Italy immediately took control of the opening exchanges, moving 4–1 ahead, but Denmark responded without hesitation.
Simon Uhrenholt’s ace and strong contributions from Mads Jensen and Oskar Madsen helped the Danes close the gap to 7–6, as they celebrated every successful rally and refused to allow the world champions to settle comfortably.
Yuri Romano and Mattia Bottolo then helped Italy rebuild their advantage, with the hosts moving ahead 12–8 before extending their lead to 18–12. Italy’s blocking proved particularly effective, producing five blocks in the opening set. Denmark continued to defend with determination, but Italy eventually moved to 22–15.
The Danish side mounted another late challenge when Uhrenholt returned to the service line, producing a run of three consecutive points that included another ace. Axel Larsen then added a further ace to bring Denmark within one point at 23–22. Italy, however, maintained their composure in the closing exchanges, sealing the set 25–22 with a decisive block on Jensen.

Italy continued to dictate the pace in the second set, opening with a 6–3 advantage and moving ahead 11–7. Denmark once again attempted to remain within reach, matching the intensity promised by their captain before the match. Giovanni Sanguinetti became a key attacking reference for Italy, scoring five points in the set as the hosts extended their lead to 16–9.
Oskar Madsen responded with two consecutive aces, reducing the deficit to 16–12 and briefly reigniting Danish hopes. Italy, however, retained control of the match, moving to 21–14 before closing out the set 25–16 to take a commanding 2–0 lead.

The third set proved a very different contest. Alessandro Michieletto’s service run helped Italy establish an early 4–1 lead, and the hosts quickly extended their advantage to 12–5. Michieletto continued to influence the game in attack, scoring five points during the set as Italy moved further ahead at 15–6.
The world champions dominated both the rhythm and the net, registering six blocks in the third set. Denmark struggled to find answers as Italy maintained their pressure through the final exchanges. An ace from Romano gave Italy match points, before the opposite finished the contest with the decisive attack, completing a 25–11 set victory and sending Italy into the quarterfinals.

Yuri Romano led Italy’s scoring with 14 points through 61% in attack, one block and two aces. Denmark’s Mads Jensen matched his total with 14 points, including three aces. Giovanni Sanguinetti and Pardo Matti contributed 11 points each for the hosts, with the latter recording six blocks.

“We are happy that we managed to get the win in only three sets. Especially in the first set, they were a very tough opponent to face. They played really well and also served hard. But we had a very good mindset and did not lose confidence when our reception was a little bit in trouble. We managed to turn it around, won the set and later the entire match, so we are very happy,” Sanguinetti said after the match.

Italy will now face Finland in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, with a place in the EuroVolley semifinals at stake.

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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 3-0 (25:14, 25:13, 25:22)

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