Florence, Italy, September 13, 2018 - Co-hosts Italy meet Belgium Thursday night, as both sides look for their second wins in the 2018 FIVB World Championship. Italy beat Japan 3-0 in the openign game on Sunday and Belgium downed Argentina 3-1 on Wednesday. Belgium last beat Italy at a World Championship 48 years ago in Sofia, following a previous win in 1966 in Pardubice. These were Belgium's only two World Championship wins over Italy in seven matches.
Head-to-Head
• Belgium have won two of their seven World Championship matches against Italy, 3-1 victories in Pardubice in 1966 and Sofia in 1970.
• Italy (5) are the nation to have won the most World Championship matches versus Belgium (Hungary next 4).
• Of Italy's five World Championship victories against Belgium, four were in straight sets. The exception was a 3-1 win in Krakow in 2014, after the Belgians had claimed the opening set 28-26.
• Italy beat Belgium in straight sets in Rome when they hosted the 1978 World Championship.
• Belgium defeated Italy in straight sets in Katowice in the 2017 European Championship quarterfinal.
Italy
• Co-hosts Italy started their 2018 World Championship campaign with a straight-set victory over Japan in Rome (25-20, 25-21, 25-23).
• Captain Ivan Zaytsev scored a match-high 13 points for Italy in their opening match versus Japan. Osmany Juantorena and Filippo Lanza followed with 11 points each.
• Italy can start a World Championship with two consecutive wins for the first time since 2010, when they followed up a 3-0 win over Japan in their opener with a straight-set victory over Egypt.
• Italy were 13th at the 2014 World Championship, the first time they had finished outside the top five at the event since 1986 (11th).
Belgium
• Belgium started their 2018 World Championship with a 3-1 win against Argentina.
• Belgium could win their first two matches at a World Championship for the second time, after 1974, against China (3-1) and Canada (3-0).
• Belgium could win back-to-back World Championship matches for the first time since 1978, against Egypt (3-2) and Tunisia (3-1).
• Pieter Verhees (Vibo Valentia), Francois Lecat (Vibo Valentia) and Kevin Klinkenberg (Milano) all play in the Italian league.