Spain vs Australia Preview: A Showdown of Veterans, Who Will Secure the First Win?

On July 27th at 5 pm, the Olympic men’s basketball group stage in Group A will witness a strong confrontation between Spain and Australia. This is the opening match of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament, with both teams boasting star players. The suspense lies in who can secure the first win.

Group A is considered a ‘group of death’, gathering four superpowers including Spain, Australia, Canada, and Greece. Every match is crucial, determining each team’s fate in qualifying. In the latest strength rankings, Australia ranks 5th, while Spain ranks 7th. From a global perspective, Spain stands at 2nd, and Australia at 5th.

Australia’s roster shines with talent, even without multiple current NBA players, they still have 8 current NBA players on their list, led by veteran Mills and Ingles. Giddey, Landale, Daniels, Josh Green, and Exum are all in their prime. Players like McVeigh, Magnes, and Nick Kay, not playing in the NBA, are also formidable. The overall lineup is luxurious.

In pre-Olympic warm-up games, Australia lost to the US by only 6 points, their sole loss, and they have defeated strong teams such as France, Serbia, Puerto Rico, and also China and Japan, showing excellent overall form. Veteran Mills remains sharp, maintaining his role as a FIBA powerhouse. Giddey, Daniels, etc., also exhibit outstanding performances.

Spain, having emerged victorious from the elimination round, despite some aging in their squad, maintains its overall strength and experience. Including the elimination round and warm-up games, Spain has won 7 consecutive matches, defeating teams such as Finland, Bahamas, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic.

Spain’s lineup is somewhat aged, with Rudy Fernandez, 39 years old, still in the team. This is his 6th Olympic journey, and he has confirmed that he will retire after the Olympics, making this the finale for him. Paris Olympics will be his last appearance. The showdown between veteran Mills and him is one of the highlights of this game. Aldama and Garuba are the only two current NBA players, the Hernangomez brothers have played for NBA teams, and Lorenzo Brown, an acquired player, adds to Spain’s rich Olympic experience. Their overall strength remains impressive.

The two teams have met three times in major tournaments over the past decade, with Spain winning all matches. At the London Olympics, Spain won 82-70; at the Rio Olympics, Spain narrowly won by 1 point against Australia; in the 2019 World Cup, Spain again defeated Australia 95-88. Although the current lineup may not be as luxurious as Australia’s, Spain does not fear this opponent psychologically, and the suspense of the match remains high.

The rosters for both teams:

Australia: Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, Josh Green, Dante Exum, Yark Landale, Duop Reis, Joe Ingles, Jake McVeigh, Will Magnes, Deloitte, Nick Kay.

Spain: Rudy Fernandez, Aldama, Garuba, Juan Hernangomez, Willy Hernangomez, Alex Abrines, Dario Bursucela, Lorenzo Brown, Alberto Diaz, Sergio Rodriguez, Javier Lopez Arrostegui, Jaime Prada

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