The Red Dragons were unable to turn their third match in Gliwice into a victory. After their strong performance against China, Belgium faced another tough opponent in Germany. The Belgians played at a high level at times and could count on a strong duo in Ferre Reggers and Pierre Perin, who both scored 23 points. Still, Germany eventually came out on top with a 1-3 win. The set scores were 22-25, 25-19, 23-25 and 19-25.

Despite playing their third match in a row, Belgium started the game very well. The Dragons took a 6-4 lead, with Perin scoring freely early on. Belgium kept up a high level of play and Germany struggled to find attacking solutions. At 14-10, the Belgians seemed to be in control, but Germany increased the pressure from the service line. Röhrs brought the Germans level at 14-14. Moments later, Germany moved ahead to 16-18, forcing head coach Emanuele Zanini to take his second time-out of the set. Belgium fought back immediately to 18-18 and stayed close thanks to important points from Reggers and Perin. At 22-24, Germany earned its first set point and, after several challenges, the 22-25 finally appeared on the scoreboard.

The Dragons did not let the loss of the opening set affect them mentally. In the second set, Belgium started sharply again and at 6-3 the German coach already called an early time-out. Plaskie scored two points in a row, with an attack and an ace, to extend the lead to 8-4. Germany stayed in touch through Brand and Röhrs, but Belgium then shifted up a gear. At 17-13, the Dragons had created another gap. Perin played an excellent second set and continued to score with ease. Belgium earned its first set point at 24-19 and it was Perin who finished the set from the pipe: 25-19.

In the third set, Germany made the better start and quickly moved ahead to 0-3. The Germans held on to their three-point lead for a long time, with the score moving from 9-12 to 11-14. Led by a strong Perin, Belgium came back to 14-15. An exciting end to the set followed, with Germany holding on to a small advantage. At 21-22, everything was still open, but the Germans pushed through to 21-24. Belgium saved two set points and at 23-24 Germany called a time-out. After a long rally, the Germans eventually closed it out: 23-25.

Belgium also kept battling in the fourth set. Reggers started finding more solutions early in the set and the score remained level until 6-6. A Perin attack gave the Dragons an 11-9 lead, but Germany responded with three points in a row. Zanini called a time-out at 11-12. The set remained balanced for a long time, with the score moving from 13-13 to 18-18. Germany then opened up a small lead at 18-20, prompting Zanini to take his second time-out of the set. In the closing stages, the spectators saw several long rallies, but it was Germany who managed to finish them off. At 19-23, the gap was made. Germany moved on to 19-24 and immediately closed out the match at 19-25.

After the match, setter Matthias Valkiers looked back on a game in which Belgium managed to spread its offence more.

“Of course, we always hope that Ferre can play a game like yesterday every day, but we knew that would be difficult,” said Valkiers. “He was a bit tired and Germany had obviously prepared for him. They are not stupid. That is why it was important today to distribute the attack more. I think our outside hitters took their responsibility well. In the end, Germany was just a little bit better at the end.”

The Red Dragons will have a welcome rest day on Sunday after three consecutive matches in Gliwice.

“Rest as much as possible,” said Valkiers. “We also need to clear our heads a bit, because these were three tough days. Now it is mainly about recovering as quickly as possible and then looking ahead to the final match.”

Head coach Emanuele Zanini also saw how Belgium’s energy dropped as the match went on.

“Over the course of the match, our energy dropped a little,” Zanini analysed. “That made it more difficult to stay focused and to execute the details well. Our defence was also less sharp at certain moments. But I cannot blame my players much. Some of the guys have now played three matches in a row and that is demanding. On top of that, Germany played a very good match. In the final set, they made no mistakes in an important service run and brought a lot of variation. We did not immediately find a solution for that. It is a pity, because we were very close to taking at least one point. But I also want to congratulate my players for their attitude and their performance. They kept fighting.”

Played for Belgium: Reggers (23), Plaskie (14), D’Heer (8), Valkiers, Fafchamps (5), Perin (23), Lantsoght

Came in: Fransen, Rotty, Vandecruys, Baetens