Bulgaria continued its excellent start to the 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship with a convincing 3-0 victory over Portugal in Sofia.
Playing in front of 10,678 spectators at Arena 8888, the Bulgarian national volleyball team won 25-18, 25-18, 25-20 to record a second consecutive straight-sets victory in Pool B.
After opening EuroVolley 2026 with a 3-0 win against North Macedonia, Bulgaria faced a Portugal team looking to respond after losing its opening match to defending European champions Poland. Instead, Gianlorenzo Blengini's side controlled most of the encounter and once again showed why Bulgaria entered the tournament as one of the teams to watch.
Bulgaria take control from the opening set
The first set remained close during its opening stages, but Bulgaria gradually began to impose its game. The hosts led 8-7 at the first checkpoint before extending the advantage to 16-14.
From there, Bulgaria increased the pressure. Strong serving made Portugal's reception uncomfortable, while the Bulgarian block began to take away attacking options at the net. The gap grew to 21-16 before Bulgaria closed the set 25-18.
The statistics reflected the balance of the opening stages, but Bulgaria were more effective when the important points arrived. Twelve Bulgarian attacks, two aces and two blocks provided the foundation for the first-set victory.
Another 25-18 puts Bulgaria firmly in control
The second set was even more convincing.
Bulgaria moved ahead 8-6 and then 16-12, rarely allowing Portugal to build enough momentum to threaten the lead. At 21-16 the hosts were already firmly in control, and another 25-18 finish gave Bulgaria a 2-0 advantage.
The block was particularly effective in the second set. Bulgaria scored four block points in the set alone, repeatedly stopping Portugal when the visitors tried to attack through the wings.
It was an important part of the overall difference between the two teams. Bulgaria eventually finished the match with nine block points compared with only three for Portugal.
Portugal pushed harder, but Bulgaria completed the sweep
Portugal produced its strongest resistance in the third set.
Bulgaria still reached the first checkpoint ahead at 8-7 and had opened a 16-12 advantage by the middle of the set. The difference increased to 21-14, putting the home team within four points of another straight-sets victory.
Portugal refused to disappear and reduced the deficit late in the set, but there was no serious Bulgarian collapse. The hosts stayed composed and finished the set 25-20 to complete the match in 78 minutes of playing time.
Aleksandar Nikolov leads Bulgaria with 17 points
Aleksandar Nikolov was once again Bulgaria's main attacking weapon and finished as the highest scorer of the match with 17 points.
The Bulgarian outside hitter produced an outstanding attacking performance, scoring 14 times from only 19 attempts for a 74% success rate. He also added two service aces and one block.
Nikolov's efficiency was one of the most impressive numbers in the match. Portugal struggled to find a reliable way of slowing him down, and even when its block was correctly positioned, the Bulgarian attacker regularly found a way to finish the rally.
Martin Atanasov provided another balanced performance with nine points. He scored five times in attack, added two blocks and two aces.
Denislav Bardarov finished with eight points, including two blocks, while captain Aleks Grozdanov scored six. Four of Grozdanov's six points came directly from blocking, making him Bulgaria's most productive blocker of the match.
Bulgaria's attack makes the difference
The clearest difference between Bulgaria and Portugal came from attacking efficiency.
| Statistic | Bulgaria | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Attack points | 31 | 30 |
| Attack efficiency | 60% | 43% |
| Block points | 9 | 3 |
| Service aces | 6 | 4 |
| Positive reception | 39% | 32% |
The number of attack points was almost identical, but Bulgaria needed only 52 attacking attempts to score 31 times. Portugal required 69 attempts for its 30 winning attacks.
That meant Bulgaria converted 60% of its attacks compared with Portugal's 43%.
Combined with the 9-3 advantage in blocks and a 6-4 edge in aces, the numbers explain why Bulgaria were able to keep Portugal at a safe distance despite several periods of competitive volleyball.
More than 10,000 fans watch Bulgaria in Sofia
The atmosphere was another important part of the evening. A crowd of 10,678 watched the match at Arena 8888 in Sofia, giving Bulgaria a genuine home-court advantage during its second match of the tournament.
For Bulgarian volleyball, hosting Pool B provides the national team with the rare opportunity to play a major international championship in front of a large home crowd.
The pool also offers a serious test. Bulgaria are competing alongside Poland, Ukraine, Portugal, Israel and North Macedonia, with the top four teams progressing to the knockout stage.
Two matches, two 3-0 victories for Bulgaria
For Bulgaria, the start to EuroVolley 2026 could hardly have been cleaner.
The national team followed its opening 3-0 victory over North Macedonia with another straight-sets win against Portugal. Six sets played, six sets won.
There will be much tougher challenges as the European Championship progresses, but Bulgaria have already shown several encouraging signs: efficient attacking, a productive block, dangerous serving and the ability to control matches without unnecessary drama.
The performance of Aleksandar Nikolov is another major positive. With 17 points and 74% attacking against Portugal, the Bulgarian star once again demonstrated the level that has made him one of the central figures of this generation of Bulgarian volleyball.
For the thousands of fans in Sofia, it was another strong evening. For Bulgaria, it was another important step in a EuroVolley campaign that has started exactly as hoped.