Volleyball The European Championships are progressing towards the playoffs.
The best 16 of the tournament, i.e. the teams advancing to the playoffs, are now clear.
Finland is one of those teams. Finland has played a phenomenal tournament on its home field and leads the group with a clean game.
However, the quarter-final opponents of Finland and the other runners-up will only be decided in the final round of the group stage, where Veljekset will face Estonia.
Provided Finland secures its group victory, the team may have quite a path towards the medal games.
The winner of Finland’s C-group will face the fourth-placed team of A-group in the quarterfinals. Rock-hard Italy has already secured the victory in the A-group, so with a group win, Finland could face Italy only possibly in the final.
With a group win, Finland would face either Greece, Slovenia or the Czech Republic in the first playoff round.
Finland would also face one of the teams from group A or C in the possible quarter-finals. The brothers have already defeated the other group C runners-up once.
Finland’s game has passed.
Finland now has 10 points. Belgium, the second place in the group, also has the same number of points. In a tie, Finland is ahead because it has one win more than Belgium.
Finland will win its group for sure if it defeats Estonia on Thursday. At that time, Finland has won all five of its group games, and victories decide superiority before series points. Belgium and Serbia, who play against each other earlier on Thursday, can reach a maximum of four wins.
If Finland takes the second place in the group, one of the three would face Greece, Slovenia or the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.
The group winner could face Italy already in the quarter-finals.
Finland so there is still plenty of stake in the final game of the group stage.
Finland will face Estonia on Thursday, September 17. The match starts at 20:00.
Correction 17.9. at 10:07 a.m.: Finland’s group win is not guaranteed with a win over Estonia, as was claimed earlier in the story. Detailed information that Finland needs a three-point win if Belgium also gets a three-point win.
Correction 17.9. at 18:10: Removed the previous correction, the original text was correct. Wins decide superiority before series points.