Spain vs. Finland Preview: Spain’s Home Court Advantage Huge, Finland Aims for Upset Without Markkanen

On July 7, Spain will face Finland in an Olympic Qualifying match, with both teams vying for a spot in the regional final.

Spain has had a perfect 2-0 record in the group stage, defeating Lebanon 104-59 and Angola 89-81. Against Angola, Aldama scored 24 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Hernangómez contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds. Led by the Hernangómez brothers and with Aldama’s NBA experience, plus the veteran Rudy Fernández still in the mix, the Spanish team is a force to be reckoned with.

Finland, on the other hand, has a 1-1 record, losing to the Bahamas 85-96 before narrowly advancing to the semifinals with an 89-88 win over Poland. In that victory, Madsen secured the win with two clutch free throws in the closing seconds. However, without their star player Markkanen, Finland’s strength has been significantly diminished. Their narrow escape against Poland was a fortunate outcome.

In this contest between Spain and Finland, there’s a noticeable gap in talent, as Spain ranks 2nd in the world while Finland sits at 20th. With Markkanen out and Spain hosting the tournament, the home team enjoys a significant advantage. It will be a difficult task for Finland to pull off an upset against Spain.

The four teams that advanced from the Spain region are Spain, Finland, Bahamas, and Lebanon. For Spain, their toughest challenge may come from the Bahamas, led by Ayton and Gordon. As a result, Spain might look to wrap up the semifinal quickly to conserve energy for their showdown with the Bahamas. Spain enters this game as a strong favorite.