Third day of the Euro only, and already a clash that smells of powder between two nations that have no desire at all to end up at 0-2 tonight. The Lithuanians missed a great opportunity against Slovenia, the French who missed out on their opener, but tonight we’re throwing it all back and letting go of the horses, for a meeting that will put its loser in dirty sheets.
Everything is relative eh, and we are already warning future tweets: no, a defeat this afternoon will not be synonymous with elimination because we remind you that four out of six teams will pass this first round. However ? The quality of play offered by the French team on Thursday against Germany does not reassure anyone, and it will obviously be necessary to show another face against the great nation that is Lithuania, passed for its part to four minutes of a victory against the Slovenian defending champion. A few too many lost balls and a strategically bizarre money time, that’s what cost the Litu the win, and this afternoon it is therefore a huge opposition that awaits the troop of Vincent Collet.
The grumpy veterans Kusminskas and Grigonis, effective as possible on Thursday, the young prospect Jokubaitis, less prominent against Slovenia but who will have to be watched like milk on the fire, the worn-out winger Brazdeikis, much more impactful in selection than in the NBA, and, of course, the interior pair Domantas Sabonis / Jonas Valanciunas, who will have to be managed as it should be by Rudy Gobert, the unofficial best defensive pivot on the planet but above all… next to his pumps against the Germans. The challenge for the French? Sending the game, being able to count on its executives, invisible or not far away on Thursday, in short, offering some content against a team 1) extremely talented and 2) in great need of victory in a group of death that will not give any gift.
Against Germany, only Guerschon Yabusele had really held his rank, so we expect a reaction from a large part of the group, from Evan Fournier and Rudy to Thomas Heurtel and Elie Okobo, via Vincent Poirier and a Moustapha Fall who may be reinstated in the rotation if the giant’s body turns green. Rudy Gobert, Moustapha Fall and Vincent Poirier, three interiors on the grill facing one of the best racquets in Europe, three interiors who will have to try not to leave so much space to the NBAers duo under penalty of being sanctioned as this was too often the case on Thursday against the more accessible Thiemann or Daniel Theis.
5:45 p.m. for the kick-off, always in Cologne, on Canal Plus and in the clear, always. Please, show us something else, whatever the result we want to say, all we want is to see a little basketball and not five guys who look at each other to know who will dare to try something with the ball. It’s going to be very hard huh, but the Blues have what it takes in the tank to react. We know a little basketball, so we tell you.