The favorites of this match were the Italians, who finished the first part of the tournament with a full set of points. In the entire group stage, they lost only two sets. The White and Reds also had to admit the superiority of this team. It was a very cold shower for the players led by Nikola Grbić.
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In comparison, the Japanese finished Group C with only one victory – against Argentina. They lost to Germany (2:3) and the Americans (1:3). They advanced to the quarterfinals at the last moment. As we know – the final phase has its own rules.
The beginning of the first set did not herald a high lead for either team (7:7). What happened next could have surprised many fans gathered in the Paris Arena. The Japanese first “jumped” by two points, and then won six in a row. The huge advantage (13:20) gave them great comfort in the game. They won the first set with complete calm.
The second set was much more even. At one point, the “Azzurri” were “better” by two points, and they were considered favorites before this match. They tried to maintain their advantage until the end (23:21), but then… they stopped. The crisis turned out to be so serious that coach Blain’s volleyball players not only equalized, but also – in full control of the game – won another two points and won the almost lost game.
They also had a two-point advantage at the beginning of the third set (3:5). Over time, it grew to four (9:13) and it seemed that the Japanese were heading for a full-scale victory. However, the Italians reached the heights of their skills and reduced the deficit (12:13). The determined Japanese, led by Yuki Ishikawa, were not fooled. The Italians tied the score and the advantage game began (24:24). Ferdinando de Giorgi’s volleyball players, fueled by new energy, turned the tide of the match and won 27:25.
The Italians returned from a long journey, and in the fourth set both teams fought an even fight. The score hovered around a draw and in the end both teams entered with the score of 20:20. When Yuki Ishikawa made a mistake in the attack, the Italian volleyball players were leading 23:21. Alessandro Michieletto won the set point (24:22), but the rivals made up for the losses and the set was crowned by an advantage game. In it, two point blocks decided the victory of the Italian team 26:24.
The tie-break was to decide who would play in the semi-final. Initially, Japan had the upper hand, gaining two points in the change of sides after a successful attack by Taishi Onodera. The Italians equalized (10:10), and a moment later they were already leading after a shot by Michieletto. In the end, emotions reached their peak. A service error gave the Italian team a match point, but after a moment Yuki Ishikawa led to a game of advantage. In this game, the Japanese had a chance to win, but in the end, it was Italy that advanced to the top four. The decisive action was finished by Roberto Russo (17:15).
The Italian team will play in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games against the winner of the Germany-France match. In the first quarter-final, the Polish team won against Slovenia 3:1.
Match result Italy – Japan. Who won? Quarterfinal of the Olympic Games
Italy – Japan 3:2 (20:25, 23:25, 27:25, 26:24, 17:15)
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