Lausanne, Switzerland, June 15, 2018 - Germany host Argentina, Saturday in Ludwigsburg, as both sides try to avoid back-to-back defeats in Week 4 of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. The two sides meet for the 15th time in history. Germany lead the head-to-head 10-4, but have lost the last two and three of the last four matches against Argentina.
Head-to-Head
• Germany (including East Germany and West Germany) won 10 of their 14 world level major competition matches against Argentina, but lost their last two matches against them and three of their last four.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Those last four meetings between these teams all came at the 2014 World League, when Argentina beat Germany in straight sets on three occasions and Germany claimed one 3-2 victory.
• The only other win for Argentina against (East) Germany at major competitions was their five-set victory at the 1982 World Championships.
Germany
• Germany have lost their last two VNL matches in a five-setter, against Australia on 10 June and versus Japan on 15 June.
• Germany have failed to win their last four major world level fixtures that went into a fifth set. Only once a German side failed to win five successive five-setters: Germany at the 2001 and 2002 World League combined.
• Germany could win at least two sets in six successive matches at major world level for the first time since the 2014 World Championships.
• Christian Fromm scored a team-high 20 points in the 3-2 defeat against Japan. Tobias Krick (14) and David Sossenheimer (11) also reached double figures in scoring.
• Despite their defeat, Germany outblocked Japan by 10 points to four. Tobias Krick (4) and Jakob Guenthoer (3) scored seven of those points.
Argentina
• On Friday, Argentina recorded their eighth defeat at the VNL. Both of their wins came in straight sets, versus Italy and Korea.
• Argentina have won at least three matches in each of their last seven participations in a major world level tournament.
• Despite their defeat against Russia, Argentina scored more points from spikes and from serves in that match.
• Martin Ramos (14) and Cristian Poglajen (13) both reached double figures in scoring against Russia.