Bulgaria vs Italy Prediction & Betting Tips - Nations League
World - Nations League
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by Devesh Jaganath | in Nations League Predictions
Week 2 of the 2026 FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League kicks off with Bulgaria taking on Italy at the CO’Met Arena on Wednesday. Gli Azzurri have won every match against this opponent across the last decade, and our prediction is that they will extend that record in this match.
Bulgaria experienced a mixed opening week in the 2026 VNL, splitting their first four games with wins over Argentina and Iran between losses against Iran and Serbia.
The Lions are one of the most attack-oriented teams in the competition and relied heavily on outside hitter Aleksander Nikolov, who leads the entire competition with 96 points after four games.
Bulgaria are on six points and ninth in the standings. They have won six and lost four of their last 10 matches in all competitions, but have lost 10 straight against this opponent coming into this one.
Meanwhile, after suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat to France in their opening match in Week 1 in the 2026 VNL, Italy bounced back with three wins on the trot over Germany, Türkiye and the USA.
Gli Azzurri showed depth in attack, with three players scoring 45+ points during the opening week. Mattia Bottolo leads the team with 53 points, while Pardo Mati has eight blocks and six aces.
Italy currently sit in fourth place, two points behind leaders Brazil. They have only lost one of their last 11 matches since mid-September last year.
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Bulgaria v Italy Best Betting Odds
| Bookmaker | 1 | 2 | Bonus up to |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4.3 | 1.25 |
|
|
4.2 | 1.23 |
|
|
4.2 | 1.23 |
|
|
3.5 | 1.27 |
|
|
3.6 | 1.27 |
|
Bulgaria vs Italy Form
Bulgaria and Italy's standings in the Nations League
| Teams | Pts | P | W | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4
|
9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | +5 |
|
9
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Bulgaria and Italy Last Matches
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
14 Jun 2026 - Nations League
13 Jun 2026 - Nations League
11 Jun 2026 - Nations League
10 Jun 2026 - Nations League
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
27 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
14 Jun 2026 - Nations League
13 Jun 2026 - Nations League
11 Jun 2026 - Nations League
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
22 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
17 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
10 Jun 2026 - Nations League
27 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
25 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
15 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
13 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
18 Jul 2025 - Nations League
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
14 Jun 2026 - Nations League
13 Jun 2026 - Nations League
11 Jun 2026 - Nations League
10 Jun 2026 - Nations League
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
27 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
24 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
18 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
16 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
14 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
2 Aug 2025 - Nations League
30 Jul 2025 - Nations League
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
14 Jun 2026 - Nations League
13 Jun 2026 - Nations League
11 Jun 2026 - Nations League
10 Jun 2026 - Nations League
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
27 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
Bulgaria vs Italy Stats: Head to Head (H2H)
0 %
100 %
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
11 Jun 2025 - Nations League
20 Jun 2024 - Nations League
5 Jul 2022 - Nations League
17 Sept 2019 - Euro Volley
Bulgaria - Italy Key Points
- Italy is the number-one ranked team in the world.
- Italy won three of their first four games in the 2026 VNL.
- Italy has won each of their last 10 matches against this opponent.
- Italy has beaten Bulgaria by two clear sets in each of their last five encounters.
- Italy has won 10 of their last 11 games across all competitions.
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Our Bulgaria vs Italy Prediction
Despite their slender loss to France in Week 1, Italy’s impressive performances, which included a 3-2 victory over the USA, saw them surpass Poland to take top spot in the FIVB world rankings.
Bulgaria beat Argentina and Iran in Week 1 of this competition, but they struggled against Belgium and Serbia. The Lions have not beaten Gli Azzurri since the 2015 European Games, and we feel they will suffer another defeat in this one. Our Bulgaria vs Italy prediction is Italy -1.5.
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All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
