Turin, Italy, September 29, 2018 - Brazil meet Serbia in the first semifinal of the 2018 FIVB World Championship, as the reigning Olympic champions go for their fifth straight and sixth overall final of a World Championship. Serbia will be aiming at their second appearance in a final, after 1998.
Serbia celebrate decisive win over Italy.
Head-to-Head
• Serbia (including Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro) have met Brazil four times at the World Championships. The balance is 3-1 in Brazil's favour, with all matches ending 3-1.
• In the first confrontation, Yugoslavia beat Brazil (1962). Brazil subsequently beat Yugoslavia in 1970 and Serbia & Montenegro in both 2002 and 2006.
• Those two matches in this century (2002, 2006) were also semifinals. Brazil would eventually claim the title on both occasions.
• Since their last World Championships meeting in 2006, Serbia and Brazil have met 18 times at major world level tournaments. Brazil won 13 of those matches, including each of the last three.
• World major tournaments are World Championship, World League, World Cup, Nations Cup, Grand Champions Cup, Olympic Games.
Brazil
• Brazil have won nine of their 10 matches at the 2018 World Championship, with a 3-1 defeat against Netherlands in the first round being the only exception.
• Brazil have reached the final at each of the last four World Championships, winning the world title in 2002, 2006 and 2010 and losing the final in 2014 against Poland.
• Brazil have won at least one set in each of their last 27 World Championship matches, since a 3-0 defeat against Bulgaria in 2010.
• Brazil have won five matches in straight sets at the 2018 World Championship. They could still reach their number of 2014 (7).
• Wallace De Souza is Brazil's top scorer at this World Championship on 134 points. Douglas Souza follows with 128.
Serbia
• Serbia have won seven of their 10 matches at the 2018 World Championships. Two of their three defeats came in their last three matches.
• Serbia could register eight wins at a single World Championship for the first time since 2006 (8).
• Serbia have now reached the semifinals in five of the last six editions of the World Championships, with 2014 as the only exception in that run. They went on to reach the final only once, in 1998 (lost against Italy).
• Despite losing three of their four semifinals at the World Championships, Serbia (including Serbia & Montenegro) have always won at least one set in those matches.
• Aleksandar Atanasijevic is Serbia's top scorer in this tournament on 122 points.