After their clear victory over North Macedonia on Friday in Zaragoza (80-44), Spain will face a high-level test against Georgia on Monday in Tbilisi
The Caucasian team, which competes in this Window with what will practically be its squad in the Eurobasket, has also secured its pass to the second phase
After their clear victory over North Macedonia on Friday in Zaragoza (80-44) in the first game of this Window, Spain will face a high-level test against Georgia this Monday in Tbilisi (5:00 p.m. Spanish time, Teledeporte ).
Caucasian Team, who competes in this Window with what will practically be his squad in the Eurobasketwas unable to beat Ukraine (79-66 in Riga) but is also assured of going to the second phase.
Spain and Georgia faced each other on the first day of this phase in Jaén, where the Spanish superiority was incontestable (89-61).
That game was not played by one of the Georgian pillars, center Tornike Shengelia, but the other three players who will also be the reference this time for the team led by Ilias Zouros, all of them known from the Endesa League: Giorgi Shermadini, Tadd McFadden and Beka Burjanadze. Georgia has accumulated 3 wins and 2 losses in its 5 matches in this first qualifying phase for the 2023 World Cup.
The expedition Spanish has traveled this Sunday in the early afternoon directly to Tbilisi, after carrying out a last training session in the Principe Felipe de Zaragoza pavilion.
Scariolo: “The game is good for us”
For the coach, Sergio Scariolo, “The match is of great importance for the qualification for the World Cup, to add useful victories for the next phase,” he said.. “Georgia is a dangerous opponent, with a brutal inside game with great players like Shengelia and Shermadini, another very good player like Burjanadze and a great scorer, a leader capable of great scoring streaks like McFadden”.
“Playing away from home is going to have its weight. Georgia is a basketball country, which is preparing to experience a Eurobasket, with a lot of passion and enthusiasm & rdquor ;, commented the Italian. “It’s going to be a very tough test and it’s good for us because we have to try to do everything possible to win and at the same time accumulate feelings for the concentration in August & rdquor ;, he said.
For his part, Quino Colom, who was not in the first match against North Macedonia, said that “Georgia is at a very high level of intensity, they have very important players, we know about the hardness of their inside game and we must be prepared because at home they are a very dangerous team”, he concluded.