Olympics 2021 Men's Basketball Quarterfinals: Italy vs. France Prediction & Match Preview - August 3rd, 2021
Italy will lock horns with France in the quarter-finals stage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the Men's basketball event.
Italy qualified for the final-8 stage of the event by beating Nigeria 80-71 in their last group match. The Italians came second in their group with a total of five points from three matches played. They registered a record of two wins and one loss.
Meanwhile, France topped their group with three wins from three games. They beat Team USA in their first game and will now look to move a step closer to an elusive gold medal with a win against Italy.
Match Details
Fixture - Italy vs. France | Olympics 2021 Men's Basketball.
Date & Time - Tuesday, August 3rd, 4:20 AM Eastern Time (Tuesday, August 3rd, 1:50 PM IST).
Venue - Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan.
Italy Preview
The Italians displayed commendable resolve in their last game, outscoring Nigeria 24-8 in the fourth quarter to earn a comeback win. Nicolo Melli, Nico Mannion, and Achille Polonara were the architects of Italy's win, as the trio scored 15,14, and 13 points, respectively.
Check out: Italy Men's Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Except for the loss to Australia, Italy has looked solid all tournament. Their strength lies in defense, and head coach Meo Sacchetti will be hoping that his side remains disciplined throughout the game against a talented French offense.
Nico Mannion has been Italy's best player in the tournament so far, and all eyes will be on him when the two sides take to the court on Tuesday.
Team News: Italy
Italy goes into the knockout game against fellow Europeans France without any injuries.
Nico Mannion will start at point guard while Stefano Tonut will play at the 2-guard position. Simone Fontecchio and last game's hero Achille Polonara will man the forward positions. Nicolo Melli is expected to start at the center position.
Alessandro Pajola scored four points and dished out four assists in the game against Nigeria, and will come off the bench to play the sixth-man role.
Italy Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Nico Mannion | Shooting Guard - Stefano Tonut | Small Forward - Simone Fontecchio | Power Forward - Nicolo Melli | Center - Achille Polonara
France Preview
France inflicted a 62-79 loss upon minnows Iran in their last game, entering the quarter-finals stages in style. The French were dominant on both ends of the floor in the match, making their presence felt in the paint on offense as well as defense.
Also Check out: France Olympic Basketball Team 2021
Thomas Heuertel scored 16 points in just 14 minutes in that match, and he, along with Boston Celtics guard Evan Fournier will be tasked with leading the team's offense.
Rudy Gobert and Timothe' Luwawu-Cabbarot will be France's defensive anchors against the Italians.
Team News: France
France will have the complete roster available for Tuesday's game. Nando De Colo will start at point guard, while Evan Fournier will start at the other guard spot. France likes to play with size, which means Nicolas Batum will play at the 3 with Guerschon Yabusele and Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot, Vincent Poirier, and Thomas Heurtel will come off the bench to play significant minutes.
France Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Nando De Colo l Shooting Guard - Evan Fournier l Small Forward - Nicolas Batum l Power Forward - Guerschon Yabusele l Center - Rudy Gobert.
Italy vs. France Prediction
Italy has been impressive, but it is hard to imagine that the Azzurri will be able to overcome this talented French side.
Except for Team USA, France has the best shot to win the tournament and should advance to the semis with an easy win over Italy.
Where to Watch Italy vs. France
NBC will show Olympic coverage in the USA. The network will spread the Games across NBC, NBC Sports, NBC's Olympic Channel, CNBC, USA, and the Golf Channel.
NBC's Olympic website, NBC.com, and the NBC app will also provide live updates of the game.
Also Check out: Olympic Basketball teams and Players