France – Spain: 78-73
Two days after his victory not completely convincing in Badalone against Spain, the Blues gave this this Saturday, August 16, 2025 against the same opponent, but this time in Paris.
You could expect a fireworks fire, at home, and even more to celebrate Nicolas Batum and Nando de Colo, to whom the Federation paid tribute in pre-match. Two of the legends of this French team, which have been part of all the beautiful adventures of the Blues since 2009 (European champions 2013, Olympic vice-champions 2021 and 2024, third of the 2014 and 2019 World Cups), and which took their international retirement after the 2024 Olympic Games.
The best possible tribute to Colo leader and the Batum winger would have been to set fire behind the three -point line. An element that missed France a bit last Thursday. But it was the Spanish who took control of the meeting.
A difficult first half for France
It’s simple: in the first period, we only saw them. Mobilized by his desire to take revenge, after her first defeat for 11 years against France, La Roja has clearly dominated. An aggressive defense prevented Guerschon Yabusele, an interior often pushed behind the three -point line, and his teammates, to chain the baskets. But France has not helped a lot, and seemed to be still running at the offensive level, with very collective actions, but punctuated by rather open shots to favor an additional pass. Only the entry of Sylvain Francisco in the heart of the second quarter allowed the Blues to find some offensive going.
On the other side of the field, the Blues were not aggressive enough, which did not prevent them from putting themselves too often and too stupid in the fault. The five team offenses (which automatically get two free throws each new fault) were reached after six minutes in the first quarter, and four minutes in the second. What give many free points to Willy Hernangómez in particular, which put a dozen in the free throws in the first period.
An impressive return in the second half
At the break, France was widely distant, and lost 44 to 28. And had to re -mobilize to offer another face in the second period. Which was the case. Led by Matthew Strazel, Théo Maledon, Bilal Coulibaly or Jaylen Hoard, and by a Bercy who has become incandescent over the minutes, the Blues became intransigent in defense and more precise in attack. What are gradually going back to the slope, and pick up the Spaniards in the middle of the fourth quarter (67-67 to 5’20 ” from the end, from the meeting, 68-67 thirty seconds later).
In a boiling end of the match, the Blues held the Digée High in Santiago Yusta, the best scorer for Spain with 18 units. On a last three points by Matthew Strazel, who had affirmed in pre-match at the microphone of The team channel that he “Had to be a leader, at least vocal and in attitude”, They were definitively sheltered, to win 78-73.
This is France’s fourth victory in as many preparation matches. He left one left on August 24 against Giannis Antetokoúnmpo (uncertain), before starting the Euro four days later against Belgium (in Poland, one of the four organizing countries). You will have to be more constant for France, on both sides of the field, to hope for something during this continental tournament. Unfortunately for the Habs, they lost one of their centerpieces, the pivot Vincent Poirier, on injury. The team had revealed it earlier this Saturday, it was confirmed in the evening: the Anadolu Efes player forfeit during the day, hit in the right knee.
Jules Lohéac
Quart-temps : 12-21, 16-23, 30-20, 20-9.