Bulgaria vs Italy. Prediction and bet for the match on September 28, 2025
Bulgaria
Italy
The final of the Volleyball World Championship will take place on September 28, with Bulgaria and Italy battling it out for the coveted title. Here’s my take on the best bet for this highly anticipated showdown.
Bulgaria
Heading into the World Championship, few expected Bulgaria to make such a breakthrough. Drawn into a tough group, the team immediately made it clear they meant business. In their opening match, they swept Germany 3-0, followed by a hard-fought five-set victory over a strong Slovenia side, and then cruised past Chile in three straight sets.
Their playoff journey began against Portugal, where only one set proved competitive. The real comeback came against the USA, with Bulgaria trailing 0-2 in sets before staging a dramatic turnaround to win 3-2. In the semifinals, they faced a tough Czech team but deservedly prevailed in four sets. Special mention goes to Aleksandar Nikolov—at just 21 years old, he's emerged as the star of the tournament, leading all players in points scored.
Italy
Expectations were high for Italy, although their group stage performance left something to be desired. They defeated Algeria in straight sets but were shocked by Belgium, losing 2-3. In their third match, they bounced back with a straight-sets win over Ukraine.
Italy looked dominant in the playoffs, not dropping a single set as they swept aside Argentina and avenged their earlier loss to Belgium. The clash against Poland was expected to be tough, but the Poles couldn’t capitalize—Italy trailed by 3-4 points in each set but always managed to turn things around in their favor. The title is within reach, but they’ll need to stay fully focused.
H2H
The sides have a rich history of head-to-head matchups, including a meeting earlier this year in the Nations League, where Italy won in four sets. Bulgaria has lost the last nine encounters against this opponent.
Prediction
Italy enters as the heavy favorite, but Bulgaria hasn’t reached the final by accident—they’ll fight for every point. Italy boasts experience, a balanced roster, and overall higher player quality. Still, I think Bulgaria is being underestimated, so I’m backing them with a +2.5 set handicap—in other words, they just need to win at least one set to cover the bet.
