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Both teams opened the tournament in Rovinj with a win but there was a big difference between them given their game. While the Israelis beat Croatia with a lot of luck, Latvia outplayed Slovakia 3-1. That is what they wanted from the first game because they and the Slovaks had the same number of wins and points. Wins are the first criterion. But they had worse set and point difference which could decide on the top spot and a direct qualification to EC. Israel's win over Croatia should not impress anyone because Croatia are without form and rhythm at the moment. Latvia won a head-to-head from last week 3-1, by 13 total points. Coach Vilde said they didn't have too much info on Israel. The win over Slovakia will give them a lot of confidence but more importantly, they need to try and win as convincingly as possible. If they won by 13 last week, I don't see why the same wouldn't happen today, especially given the motivation at Latvia and the obvious difference in quality.