Grbić's Poland cruise past Germany into European Championship semi-final
Poland's volleyball team, coached by Nikola Grbić, beat Germany 3:0 in the quarter-final of the European Championship to reach the semi-final, where they will face Belgium or Slovenia.
Poland dominate Germany
Under Serbian coach Nikola Grbić, Poland's national volleyball team defeated Germany 3:0 (25:23, 25:17, 25:17) in Sofia on Tuesday to reach the semi-final of the men's European Championship. According to Interia Sport, the first set was closely contested, but Germany had no answer for the defending champions in the following two.
Germany fight back in the third set
Poland outside hitter Kamil Semeniuk told SportoweFakty that before the match Grbić had warned the team to stay alert even with a 2:0 lead, since Germany "never gives up" — a reference to their round-of-16 comeback against Bulgaria after trailing 0:2. That warning proved timely: in the third set Germany served aggressively and built an 8:4 lead. Poland, however, kept their composure, tightened their defence and serving, caught up with their opponents and closed out the set and the match.
Statistics show a clear gap
The European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) highlighted Wilfredo Leon's strong performance from the first set onward, noting Poland's superior attacking efficiency of 62% against Germany's 50%, backed by better reception (53% to 44%). In the second set Poland quickly took control, extending their lead to 21:12. In the third, Germany led 13:10 before Tomasz Fornal and Leon helped Poland claw back. Overall, Poland's attacking efficiency reached 61% versus Germany's 43%, even though Germany held small edges in reception (40% to 39%) and aces (two to one). Unforced errors proved decisive — Germany committed 24 compared to Poland's 16.
German press: no hope this time
German media unanimously agreed there was no upset this time. Süddeutsche Zeitung, citing the DPA news agency, wrote that the European champions from Poland left the German team no hope. Sportschau.de noted that Germany have now lost all six of their recent meetings with Grbić's Poland, and that their only European Championship win over Poland came 33 years ago. Sport1.de wrote of "the end of the dream" and recalled that Germany's long-term goal remains qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
What's next
Poland will face either Belgium or Slovenia in the semi-final; that quarter-final tie was scheduled for Wednesday. As Interia Sport reports, the semi-final will be played on Friday, September 25, in Milan, where the medal round of the championship will take place. The winner will meet France, Italy or Finland in the final.
