France, as the runner-up in the Olympics, marks the initial prominent opponent for Spain en route to the Eurobasket competition
In the first of two friendly matches before EuroBasket 2025, France emerged victorious against Spain at the Badalona Olympic Pavilion, securing a 75-67 victory. The French team, fresh from their Olympic silver medal last summer, showcased their strength and determination in the lead-up to the tournament.
NBA-associated players Guerschon Yabusele, Jaylen Hoard, and Zaccharie Risacher led France's charge, scoring 12, 13, and 12 points respectively. Spain, however, was without key player Santi Aldama due to injury, with Willy Hernangomez stepping up to lead the Spanish effort with 15 points and 5 rebounds.
The match served as a "real acid test" for Spain, highlighting the impact of injuries on their competitiveness against a strong French side preparing intensely for EuroBasket 2025. The French team, missing NBA stars Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama due to injuries, qualified undefeated for Eurobasket, winning six games in a row against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Cyprus.
Spain, on the other hand, has faced a surprising loss to Portugal and an exhibition against the Czech Republic. The defense of the European title will begin for Spain on August 28 against Georgia. The Spanish national basketball team, coached by the Italian Sergio Scariolo, admitted that the gap between the two teams "seems very large."
The Hernangómez brothers and Isaac Nogués will take on increased leadership roles in the absence of the injured players. Two key players, Santi and Alberto Díaz, will be absent from the match due to injuries. The Spanish team will complete their preparation tour against Germany next week.
The last encounter between Spain and France was in 2022, in the grand final of Eurobasket, where Spain won with a score of 88-76. The match between the two teams can be watched live on La 2 and Play, this Thursday at 21:00. Jaime Pradilla, López-Arostegui, Dari Brizuela, the Hernangómez brothers, and Joel Parra are the only survivors of that feat.
In the past decade, Spaniards and French have faced off five times (three official matches and two friendlies). Spain has emerged victorious in all of them. The match against France is considered the "real acid test" to gauge the Spanish team's preparedness for EuroBasket 2025.
Following this match, all the preparation and Eurobasket 2025 will be broadcast on Televisión Española. The second match between France and Spain is scheduled for August 16, 2025, in Paris at the Accor Arena.
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