Finland shock Italy in five sets to reach European Championship semi-finals

[p][b]It's just the second time [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/xWtY0ri6/"]Finland[/a] have reached the last four of the men's EuroVolley, 20 years on from a fourth-place finish in Russia, while reigning silver medallists [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/KYAO21L5/"]Italy[/a] have seen their ambitions of an eighth European title fall well short on home soil.[/b][/p][p]The Italians set the tone of the first set by winning the first three points, and though Finland pegged them back and the teams were level as late as 18-18, it was I[b]taly who kicked on again with a 4-0 run, eventually closing out a 25-21 win.[/b][/p][p]Italy had won six out of six in the competition before this match, and a match was exactly what they were in, as Finland held a narrow lead for much of the second set. From 24-23 up, Finland appeared to miss the chance to take a scalp, falling 25-24 behind, [b]before holding their nerve to win the extended set[/b], 28-26.[/p][p]The upset was well and truly on as [b]successive 4-0 runs early in the third gave Finland a 10-3 lead[/b], and though Italy cut the deficit to 11-8, the Finns were determined not to let it slip, and when they sealed the set, they did so with either side's biggest lead of the match - [b]nine points - at 25-16.[/b][/p][embed guid="ec1be625-2826-4c4b-a051-ee123f14bf57" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiMnZPgvto" social-type="youtube" /][p]One set away from crashing out of their own tournament, it was Italy who showed their determination in set four, never falling behind yet never leading by more than three, until [b]a late 4-0 streak all but sealed the set[/b], which they took 25-20 to force a decider.[/p][p]Italy began the first-to-15 set brightly, going 5-2 up and looked sure to hold out from 11-8 ahead, [b]only for a 5-1 run from Finland saw the underdogs lead 13-12[/b], as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marttila-luka/rDNwLwJ2/"]Luka Marttila[/a] put his side ahead with one of his 22 points in the match. Italy levelled again, only for [b]the Veljekset to snatch two points in a row and win 15-13 to wrap up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/volleyball/finland-xWtY0ri6/italy-KYAO21L5/?mid=AsqmMt2L"]a 3-2 victory[/a][/b] and earn a semi-finals spot.[/p][p]On 25th September, Finland will play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/4UUj2p7m/"]France[/a] for a place in the final, which will be against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovenia/bRQQqXZj/"]Slovenia[/a] or reigning champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/poland/r3l84Njg/"]Poland[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/volleyball/europe/european-championships/"]Follow the final rounds of the 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]