Nantes (AFP)

The clash between Italy and France will take place on Tuesday: the Transalpines, even reduced by the package of their receiver / striker Filippo Lanza, have Turkey in the round of 16 of the European Championship of volleyball, Sunday in Nantes .

With a day in less recovery to prepare their quarter-final against France, the Italians had to stay as short as possible on the grounds of Hall XXL Nantes, well stocked (3.119).

Mission accomplished for the players Gianlorenzo Blengini, winners 3 sets to 0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-21) in 81 minutes but who were put in trouble by Turkey in the first set and were saved by Gabriele Nelli on an attack and two aces at the end of the round.

"I'm happy because we had some problems and we stayed focused on the game, everyone was talking about the game against France in the quarter-finals, but we did not talk about it," he said. coach of the Nazionale after the meeting.

In addition to the injury of Lanza, several Italian players -Massimo Colaci, Simone Giannelli, Daniele Lavia or Ivan Zaytsev- have caught a virus in recent days and were bedridden without being able to touch a ball.

- Latin Derby -

French and Italians will therefore meet Tuesday evening in a Hall XXL which will be full like an egg, six days after an initial appetizer in Montpellier, won by Laurent Tillie's Blues 3-1.

This classic continental volleyball, in the form of a Latin derby, will pit two teams that are used to cross in the League of Nations, but have not had the opportunity to play a game in high stakes in the big league since the 3-0 inflicted by Ivan Zaytsev's teammates at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The 2016 Olympics are causing an animosity between the players of both teams, including the French who had criticized their rivals for not playing the game against Canada, leaving the meeting.

The Italians will approach this meeting in the expectation with Ivan Zaytsev, not good enough in the first set and left on the bench during the next two against Turkey, and Osmany Juantorena, who has regularly massaged the lower back during this match.

© 2019 AFP