Opole, Poland, May 23, 2019 - Italy play Germany and Thailand take on Poland in 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Pool 1 on Thursday. Get the head-to-head statistics below.
Italy - Germany (May 23, 2019)
Head-to-Head
· Italy have won 11 of their last 12 matches against Germany in world level major competitions (Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup), with the only exception in that run a straight-set defeat at the 2012 World Grand Prix.
· These teams most recently met on 23 May 2018, when Italy beat Germany 3-0 in week two of the Volleyball Nations League in Suwon (25-22, 25-18, 25-20).
· At the European Championships, Germany won the last encounter, a 3-0 win in the 2011 semifinals.
Italy
· Italy started their 2019 Volleyball Nations League campaign with wins over Poland (3-2) and Thailand (3-0).
· Italy won 12 of their last 13 Volleyball Nations League fixtures, with a five-set defeat against Japan on 29 May 2018 being the only exception.
· Italy's run of 10 victories at the VNL is currently the longest winning streak of all participating teams.
· Italy could become the first team winning 11 straight VNL matches. They currently share the longest ever winning streak with United States, who had 10 wins in a row in 2018.
· Indre Sorokaite (39 points) and Elena Pietrini (34 points) are Italy's most prolific scorers in the 2019 VNL thus far.
Germany
· Germany kicked off the 2019 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-0 defeat against Thailand and a 3-1 defeat against Poland.
· Germany have lost five VNL matches in a row and could equal their longest losing streak in the competition. They lost six in a row in May 2018.
· In the 2018 VNL, Germany won one of their first three matches, their competition opener against Brazil (3-1).
· Louisa Lippmann, Germany's top scorer in last year's VNL, again came through as Germany's top scorer in the match against Poland, scoring 23 points.
Thailand - Poland (May 23, 2019)
Head-to-Head
· Thailand have won three of their last four matches against Poland in world level major competitions (Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup). In that run, Thailand only failed to claim a win at the 2009 World Grand Prix, where they suffered a 3-0 preliminary round defeat.
· These nations most recently met on 24 May 2018, when Thailand claimed a five-set Volleyball Nations League victory in Macau (25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14).
· Thailand's three world level wins over Poland all came in five sets. Poland recorded four victories against Thailand, all in straight sets.
Poland
· Poland started their 2019 Volleyball Nations League campaign with a close 3-2 defeat against Italy and a 3-1 win over Germany.
· Poland could win consecutive VNL matches for the second time, after a run of six straight victories in the 2018 competition.
· In the 2018 VNL, Poland also started with a defeat and a win. They would lose their third match back then, 3-0 against Turkey.
· Malwina Smarzek was Poland's top scorer in both matches at the 2019 VNL, with 28 points against Italy and a commanding 32 points against Germany.
· Natalia Medrzyk has also reached double figures in both 2019 VNL matches. Medrzyk compiled 18 points against Italy and 16 points against Germany.
Thailand
· Thailand have a win and a loss so far in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, beating Germany 3-0 on Tuesday and losing by the same scoreline against Italy on Wednesday.
· In this match, Thailand will aim to avoid losing consecutive VNL matches by a 3-0 scoreline for the first time.
· Thailand have won one of their last 11 VNL matches, 3-0 against Germany last Tuesday.
· Thailand could already equal their wins total of the 2018 VNL, when they beat Argentina 3-0 and Poland 3-2.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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