Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EuroBasket match.
The decisive phase of EuroBasket gets under way. The four strongest teams remain, and they will decide among themselves who deserve the gold medals. The first semi-finals tie pits an elite Germany against Finland, who have exceeded expectations.
Germany
In the quarter-finals, Germany had to work hard to beat Slovenia (99:91). Their defence could not contain Luka Dončić, who posted 39 points and seven rebounds, so they were unable to build a comfortable cushion. The Dallas Mavericks guard is one of the best players in the world, yet he receives virtually no support with the national team. Finland are, however, far more varied on offence.
Finland
Finland are growing stronger from game to game. Throughout the tournament, their leading scorer has remained Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging 24.7 points per game. Crucially, Mikael Jantunen has come to life in the play-offs: he dropped 15 against Serbia and then put up 19 against Georgia. This duo will surely test Germany.
Germany vs Finland Prediction
Bookmakers are repeating the same mistake and once again undervalue Finland. They are capable of springing a surprise and they possess notable squad depth. Moreover, this is a semi-finals match, where there will be no easy games. The nominal away side should make it a contest.
