2025 Volleyball World Championship semi-final: Poland, Italy, Bulgaria and Czechia to battle for shot at glory
Poland vs. Italy: Battle of the world’s best
Heading into the 2025 FIVB Volleyball World Championship, Poland were installed as the number one seed and the clear favourite to win back the title this year, according to all of the best online betting sites.
The White and Reds have featured in the final of this competition in each of the last three editions and won it back-to-back in 2014 and 2018, before losing to none other than their upcoming opponents in the 2022 edition, which they co-hosted with Slovenia.
So far, the Poles have fully lived up to expectations, still holding a perfect record of five wins in five matches, while they have only lost two sets at the tournament, one of which was against Canada in the round of 16.
For Poland, this match is as much about progressing to the final for a fourth time in a row as it is about exacting revenge for their 2022 disappointment, and bookies are giving them the edge in this potential title decider.
Poland and Italy have split their last 10 matches, five wins apiece!
However, while the latest betting odds favour the White and Reds in this contest, it would be foolish to write off Italy, as the defending champions have a knack of finding their best performances when they need it most. Check out our Poland vs Italy prediction for all the details.
Gli Azzurri suffered an unexpected defeat to Belgium during the group stage, but since then, they have not lost a single set, and returned the favour to the Red Dragons by smashing them 3-0 in the quarter-finals earlier this week.
Both these sides have players who can alter the course of matches with their brilliance, but Alessandro Michieletto and Bartosz Kurek have been particularly impressive this year, leading their teams in points scored in the competition coming into this blockbuster matchup.
Czech Republic vs. Bulgaria: Two teams daring to dream
Before the battle of the heavyweights, the first semi-final at the World Championships will see the Czech Republic face off against Bulgaria, and you can find all the in-depth stats and insights for this clash via our Volleyball World Championship 2025 predictions.
The 2025 edition of the competition has been special for the Czechs, as it is the first time that they have qualified for the semi-final of the World Championship in over five decades, dating back to when they won the title as Czechoslovakia in 1966.
Despite being seeded 18th, one spot above their upcoming opponents in this competition, Czechia are installed as the underdogs. They have been beaten once this year, a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil during the group stage.
The Czech Republic have only won two of their nine all-time matches against this opponent!
Indeed, Bulgaria have dominated this fixture over the years, but the last time they faced this opponent was back at the European Championships in 2021, which they won 3-2 in a thrilling final set showdown.
After topping their group, which featured higher-seeded opposition in Slovenia and Germany, Bulgaria made light work of Portugal in the last 16 before pulling off the biggest upset of the knockout stage, ousting the United States in a titanic battle.
The last time Gianlorenzo Blengini’s side got to this stage of the World Championship was in 2006 in Japan, where they went on to win the bronze medal. Their best-ever finish was silver in the 1970 edition, which they hosted.
