Portugal W vs Belgium W

Portugal's best chance came in the second set. After trailing for most of the frame, they drew level at 22-22 — the first time they had genuinely threatened since the opening points. But Belgium's response was immediate and emphatic: a Herbots kill from the left, a Portugal attack error under pressure, and a Martin winner down the line. Conceding three straight points at 22-22 effectively ended Portugal's hopes of extending the match. From that moment, Belgium's momentum carried them to a third-set wipeout.

Britt Herbots (Belgium W) — The captain and outside hitter was the focal point of Belgium's attack throughout. Fresh off a 25-point display against Spain on Saturday, she again led the scoring and was instrumental in breaking Portugal's resistance in the second set. Her all-court game — offence, passing and leadership — marked her as the clear player of the match.

Pauline Martin (Belgium W) — The opposite backed up her 23-point performance against Spain with another efficient attacking display. Martin's power from the right side gave Belgium a balanced offensive structure that Portugal's block could not neutralise.

Belgium's serving unit — The Yellow Tigers consistently pressured Portugal's first touch, particularly in the third set where a serving run built an insurmountable 9-2 lead. Portugal's passing breakdown made it impossible to run their middle attackers effectively.

For Portugal, the defensive effort in the second set showed their potential, but they lacked the offensive firepower to sustain it across three sets.

The 71-minute match was decisively controlled by Belgium. Their 26-point margin (75-49 total points) reflected a gulf in efficiency: Belgium's attacking was clinical when it mattered most, while Portugal's error count — particularly 9 unforced errors in the third set alone — undermined any competitive platform. The set scores (25-16, 25-22, 25-11) show a match that was competitive only in patches, with Belgium asserting dominance in the key moments of set two before running away with the third.

Belgium converted their second-set escape at 22-22 into a 3-0 sweep — the kind of efficiency that tournament contenders rely on. Portugal, by contrast, have now lost both opening matches without winning a set (0-6 in sets across two matches).

With back-to-back wins — Friday's 3-2 thriller over Spain followed by this sweep — Belgium sit atop Pool C with maximum points from two matches. The top four teams from each pool advance to the knockout stage, leaving the Yellow Tigers in a strong position with three group matches remaining.

Portugal, after a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands on Day 1 and this defeat to Belgium, are 0-2 and yet to win a set. Their path to qualification is narrow but not impossible. They face Azerbaijan on 24 August and Spain on 26 August — both must-win fixtures to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Belgium's next match is against Romania on 24 August.

Belgium will leave Baku satisfied with a professional sweep that demonstrated their depth and composure. The second-set response at 22-22 was the hallmark of a team that knows how to win tight moments. Portugal showed signs of competitiveness in set two but lack the offensive efficiency and serving pressure to trouble Europe's stronger sides. Their tournament will be defined by the next two group matches.