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French have beaten Poland earlier this year

Poland have, harder than expected, beat Turkey, but their selector Anastasi is convinced that is was all due to first game pressure

Poland have won the already reserved points against Turkey, but the way they did it was not good at all. They were the better opponent in the first two sets: the first one was won by experience, and in the second they smashed the Turks, but they stopped prior to the final blow. Selector Anastasi admitted that himself:

- The game was weird. We played two sets on a very high level, and two far below our possibilities, and with a lot of mistakes.


Anastasi decided to put the more experienced Jarosz at the position of the opposite instead of the announced Bociek, but it has shown that Jarosz reacts a lot better when he's pulled off the bench as the "joker". Most of the offense went over Kurek and Winiarski, with the fact that Kubiak substituted the last one due to a bad game and that put Winiarki's fitness into question. The game in the third and fourth sets didn't seem convincing, they really made a lot of mistakes and the lack of consistency poses a great problem for Anastasi. The audience is another motif for the Polish, but at the same time another link in the chain, and pressure is no "ally" of Poland.


- Both us and the Turks were nervous,  with a difference that we've surpassed that difficulty. Of course that we can play better, but it's on the selector and the team headquarters to analyze what was good, and what was bad - pointed out captain Mozdzonek.


The meeting with France has been labeled as the most important one in the group, the stakes are high, and the first place and direct placement to the quarter-finals are at stake, so there's no room for calculating. In the end, Anastasi adds:


- I'm sure that we can play better. The first game is always the hardest, it carries the extra pressure of the favorite, and we have to be happy that we've won. Now it's time for France.


The French selector Laurent Tillie warned his players that Slovakia shouldn't be underestimated and that they would have to work hard to win. His words were true, France did win in three sets, but with a lot of stress and drama. They didn't deserve to win with the way they played, but we have to acknowledge their mental hardiness in moments when they were after the score and saving set balls. That wasn't common for former France, who often broke down under pressure, while the same can't be said for this team.


- We congratulate the Slovaks for an excellent game in defense and reception. It's very hard to play against teams which push such a game. In the end, the most important thing is that we've won and earned our first points. Tomorrow's game is the key one - said captain Toniutti.


The French started with Rouzier as the opposite. The new player Cunea was an enigma for the Slovaks with 17 points, while N'Gapeth scored one point less. The setters' rotation has become a common practice under Tillie. Toniutti and Redwitz were changing places and setting the pace of the team in every set.


The key of the game was the block advantage (11-7). While Slovaks gathered blocks on practically unimportant points, the French ones came at the right time. France has beaten Poland this year in the World League. Both times they celebrated after five sets, but Tillie refuses to draw parallels between that one and today's game:


- It's pointless to mention something that happened two to three months ago. Nor are we nor are the Polish the same team, and this time they will have the support of about ten thousand fans - said Tillie and briefly mentioned yesterday's game:


- I'm pleased with a victory achieved in three sets, but I'm even more pleased with the patience my players have shown in the second and the third set. We were faced with an unusual situation, the Slovaks had a lot better defense than their block, and that startled us a bit.

The match for the first place in this group, which means a very tight game. Poland were not really impressive yesterday as they struggled against a weak Turkey, and the French are a better team than that. I have already mentioned how the French have progressed, especially mentally and they are absolutely brimming with confidence. Games against Poland are always motivating and they usually have their best performances against very strong teams. Trying to guess the winner here is a roulette, Poland are too much of a favorite, but the total point margin is quite interesting. 183,5 seems at least 3-4 points too low, and the previous games speak in favor of this. The Frenche have won 3-2 in the World League both times going over 210 points. Previous head-to-head games have also gone over this margin and this bet should be followed through with a medium stake.