Lausanne, Switzerland, May 18, 2018 - Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists Italy take on Germany in Kraljevo to open Pool 4 of the inaugural 2018 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League. Though their head-to-head record stands at a tight 8-6, the Italians have beaten Germany in their last foru encounters at world level.
Head-to-Head
• In 14 major world level encounters Germany won six matches, while Italy won eight matches, including the last four encounters.
• World level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• The last two major world level encounters came at the 2013 World League. Italy won 3-0 and 3-2 and qualified for the final round, two points ahead of Germany who failed to qualify for the final round. Italy finished in third place.
• These countries also met at the 2010 World Championship when host Italy beat Germany 3-1 in the second round. Still, both countries qualified for the third round and Italy went on to finish fourth, while Germany finished eighth.
• The last time Germany won a major world level encounter with Italy came at the 2003 World League. Germany won twice (3-1, 3-1) after Italy had won the first two encounters (3-1, 3-1), Italy went on to qualify for the final round while Germany failed to qualify. Italy ended the tournament in third place.
• In 2017, Germany beat Italy in five sets at the European Championship and went on to finish runner-up. Italy finished in fifth place.
Germany
• Germany have won a world level major competition twice. In 1969 they won the World Cup as East Germany while hosting the tournament and in 1970 they won the World Championship in Bulgaria.
• The last time Germany finished on the podium in a world level major competition came at the 2014 World Championships, when they finished third by beating France in straight sets in the bronze medal match.
• Germany (as East Germany) finished on the podium at the Olympic Games once, as the lost the final in 1972 against Japan 3-1 in Munich.
• Germany are currently in 10th place on the FIVB World Ranking, 80 of their 90 points came from their third place at the 2014 World Championship.
• Each of Germany's last four major world level major tournament matches have been straight setters winning against Mexico (twice) and winning and losing once against Spain at the 2017 World League in group 3.
Italy
• Italy finished runner-up of a world level major competition once in each of the last three years: 2017 Grand Champions Cup, 2016 Olympic Games, 2015 World Cup.
• The 2017 Grand Champions Cup was Italy's last world level major competition. They won four matches, including a five setter against Brazil, but lost 3-2 against Iran on the first match day.
• The last time Italy won a world level major match in straight sets came on the first match day of the 2017 World League, when they beat Iran 3-0 on 2 June 2017.
• The last time Italy won a world level major competition came at the 2000 World League, when they won their eighth World League in 11 years.
• Italy are currently ranked in joint fourth place on the FIVB World Ranking, among CEV countries only Poland (3rd) is ranked higher.