Head-to-Head · These matches will be the first two encounters between Belgium and Portugal in the World League.
· Their most notable encounters were at the 1948 European Championships and the 1956 World Championships. Portugal won both meetings: 3-0 at the ECh and 3-1 at the WCh.
Belgium · Belgium can have W8-L1 record over their last nine matches after the two encounters with Portugal.
· They have played three five-set matches this season (W2-L1), most of all teams. They had four matches that needed five sets in their entire 2014 debut campaign. They lost all four.
· Sam Deroo has scored 116 points for them this season. Only Gavin Schmitt (CAN) has scored more (124) in Intercontinental Group 2.
· Deroo scored at least 19 points in each of Belgium's first five matches, but he managed to score only nine in their one-sided 3-0 win against Netherlands last weekend.
Portugal · Portugal have yet to win a match this season. Their losing run of five is their longest since 20 in 2011-2013).
· In 2005 they claimed their first win in their sixth match, while in 2012 they lost all 12 matches.
· Andre Reis Lopes is this season's best server in Intercontinental Group 2 with 36 hits from 52 attempts and an average of 0.69 per set.
· Hugo Gaspar was Portugal's leading scorer in all four previous matches this season, scoring 14+ points in each four matches.