Reinvigorated by a prestigious feat against the Canadians, the Blues meet the Germans, who already beat them in the first round.
Doubts have dissipated, morale has improved and the troops have remobilized. Vincent Collet could not have hoped for a better context before challenging Germany today in the semi-final of the Olympic tournament. This second phase of the tournament can be compared to a series of revenge matches for his protégés, because after Canada, France also has scores to settle with the Mannschaft.
Keep the same mindset
Largely dominated last Friday by the Germans (71-85), the Blues have the ability to overthrow the reigning world champion. To do this, they will have to rely on the same fundamentals that allowed Evan Fournier’s partners to push aside the Canadian favorite. Tactically, it was perfect, but for Collet, it is not necessarily the key to this XXL success. Questioned Tuesday at a press conference about his many decisive choices in the composition of the team, the coach of the Blues admitted: “I am still bothered by this, because before the tactics, it is our heart and our state of mind which are the first responsible for this victory. We had obviously prepared things. But we also prepared things on Friday (against Germany) and we saw the result (71-85 defeat).”
Today we should still find Isaïa Cordinier, Guerschon Yabusele and Matthias Lessort in the starting five. Because you don’t change a winning team, moreover, these three main players in the victory in the quarter-finals also have the good knowledge of the German profiles that will be facing them. All three regularly rub shoulders with their counterparts from across the Rhine in the Euroleague, and this is an aspect that should not be overlooked.
Schroder and Wanger to watch like hawks
This is the infernal duo of the Mannschaft, and these two were merciless against the Blues last Friday (26 points each). They do not play in Europe, but in the NBA. Brooklyn Nets for Schroder and Orlande Magic for Wagner. We will have to watch them like a hawk, and analyze their game in depth on video (France has faced Germany 3 times in less than a month). Gobert, weakened by an operation on his left middle and ring fingers, should not play a big role in this semi-final. Collet has the assets needed to be less fragile defensively than on Friday. A place in the final is at stake, and such an objective should only galvanize his troops once again.
What time will the meeting take place? The match between France and Germany will start at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday. It will take place at the Arena de Bercy.
On which TV channel is France – Germany broadcast? The match between the Blues and the Germans will be broadcast on Thursday August 8 at 5:30 p.m. on France Télévisions and Eurosport.
What streaming broadcast for the France – Germany match? To follow the match in streaming, you must go to the France TV platform (free) or you can watch on the dedicated platforms Max d’Eurosport or MyCanal.
Possible teams
The five returning from Germany: Theis, Wagner, Voigtmann, Schroder, Obst. Replacements: Bonga, Da Silva, Giffey; Lo, Thiemann, M. Wagner, Weiler-Babb.
The five returning from France: Nicolas Batum, Isaia Cordinier, Victor Wembanyama, Mathias Lessort, Guerschon Yabusele. Replacements: Frank Ntilikina, Bilal Coulibaly, Nando De Colo, Ousmane Dieng, Nadir Hifi, Élie Okobo. Jaylen Hoard, Evan Fournier, Vincent Poirier, Rduy Gobert.