World League 2003

Italy beat Bulgaria 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23) - duration 1:40
09-Jul, start time: 10:36, end time: 12:16 - Attendance: 650
Italy beat Bulgaria after great comeback
Bulgaria knew that in order to have chances for semifinals a miracle was needed. The first stone was set in the first period, when mighty Bulgarians gave a serious warning to their opponents by beating Italy 25-21.
Then the fear arrived to Italian squad. Afraid that an upset in this match could mean losing every option to be in semifinals, the team trained by Gian Paolo Montali recover the characteristic powerful style of playing and took a lead that lasted from the beginning to the end of the set (19-25).
Bulgaria tried to force more surprises, but Italians decided that it was enough. With powerful blocks and attacks lead by captain Andrea Giani, 'azzurra' squad cut the way to points of Bulgarians and won the third set 23-25.
Despite the attempts of Bulgarian team, Italy was focused on victory and the last set was history repeating (23-25). With this result, Italian options to be in semifinals remain untouched.