Belgium saw off Czech Republic 3:1 in the CEV European Championship on Monday, extending their flawless start to the tournament. The hosts moved clear at the top of the table with four wins from four, while the visitors remained in fourth place after five matches.
To be fair, Belgium had already made a statement in their previous encounters. They beat Slovenia 3:1, then saw off Slovakia 3:0, with only the narrow defeat to Finland and the loss to the Netherlands denting their form. Czech Republic came in with mixed results, including a heavy 3:1 loss to Italy.
And here's the thing — we had backed the visitors with 95 per cent confidence. The prediction simply didn't materialise. Belgium's home advantage and their recent momentum proved decisive, while Czech Republic struggled to find their rhythm against a side that knows how to close out matches.
The result leaves Belgium four points clear at the summit, with a perfect record intact. Czech Republic's deficit grows, and they now face a tougher path to catch the leaders. The gap between the top two positions in the table has widened.
What this match tells us is straightforward. Belgium are the team to beat right now, and Czech Republic will need to regroup quickly if they want to stay in contention for the next stage.
