Sweden claimed a decisive 3-1 victory (18-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-19) over Hungary in the first match of the Men`s CEV European Silver League Final. The contest took place on Wednesday at the Messzi István Sportcsarnok in Kecskemét.
Hungary started the match strongly, taking the first set with a score of 25-18. This was a rare setback for Sweden, marking only the second set they had lost throughout the entire competition after six previous wins.
However, the Swedish team, coached by Gido Vermeulen, quickly regrouped and won the subsequent three sets to secure the valuable first-leg advantage. Outside spiker Viktor Lindberg was a standout player, leading all scorers with 18 points, which included 2 kill blocks and 1 ace.
The second leg of the final is scheduled to be played in Sweden. With their 3-1 win from the first match, Sweden now needs just one more victory in front of their home crowd to clinch the 2025 CEV Silver League championship trophy.
For Hungary, overcoming the deficit presents a significant challenge. They must win the return match by any score to force a golden set. Winning that final, deciding set is their only path to turning the result around and claiming the title. The Hungarian team will be looking to build on the strong start they showed in the opening set of the first leg.
Gideon Holt