Victor Wembanyama and the Blues are therefore in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Olympic Games. After the miracle against Japan, that's already something, and the French Team can even still finish in first place in Group B!
But for that, they will have to beat the “Mannschaft”, the reigning world champion, at 9:00 p.m. at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium…
Who to defend Dennis Schröder?
“Germany is a very strong team” recalls Vincent Collet. “We should not rely on the two friendlies we played against them. The first time, they only had three days of preparation, they started later than us. We saw during the first match and the one against Team USA that they are in place. It is a team that has been the same for three years, with one exception perhaps. They benefit from this experience.”
She also benefits from a dragster, Dennis Schröder. Who will be able to contain him best among the Blues? Matthew Strazel? Andrew Albicy? Frank Ntilikina? As before each meeting of these Blues, it is uncertainty.
Especially since the start of the competition, it is… Nicolas Batum who has done the best defensive work on the head of the opposing snake. However, it is impossible to ask him to manage Dennis Schröder the entire match.
“And then there are some very great players, including the point guard, probably one of the best in the world in FIBA competition.” admits the French coach. “And other players in their “prime”, like (Franz) Wagner, (Daniel) Theis who is still very good and then specialists less referenced on a world scale but who are very important in the German game plan, like (Johannes) Voigtmann, who gives a lot of surface to others, or (Andreas) Obst who is a shooting specialist but who is very well used.”
What is the table for the rest of the competition?
Faced with the uncertainties of the Blues, Germany is moving forward with its solid assets. Against Japan, it was certainly jostled by the somewhat crazy Japanese pace, but it systematically used the advantageous “matchups” under the circle. Against Brazil, it absorbed the opponent's hot streak, before increasing the defensive intensity.
The “Mannschaft” clearly seems to be on top, while the rest is also at stake in this match.
A good victory could thus allow the winner to take one of the two places in pot D, probably with the United States, and thus avoid Team USA in the quarter-finals… and even all the way to the final. In the event of defeat, the road will obviously be a lot more complicated. But in any case, this French Team does not have the leisure to calculate.
GERMANY'S MAJOR FIVE
Dennis Schröder – Andreas Obst – Franz Wagner – Johannes Voigtmann – Daniel Theis
GERMANY'S SQUAD
Isaac Bonga (2m04, 24 years old)
Oscar Da Silva (2m05, 25 years old)
Niels Giffey (2m00, 33 years old)
Maodo Lo (1m91, 31 years old)
Andreas Obst (1m91, 28 years old)
Dennis Schroder (1m85, 30 years old)
Daniel Theis (2m03, 32 years old)
Johannes Thiemann (2m05, 30 years old)
Johannes Voigtmann (2m11, 31 years old)
Franz Wagner (2m08, 22 years old)
Moritz Wagner (2m11, 27 years old)
Nick Weiler-Babb (1m96, 28 years old)
DIFFUSION
The France-Germany match should be broadcast on France Televisions And Eurosportfrom 9:00 p.m.
