The Greek national team has its back against the wall, and on Monday night (7:00 p.m.) it faces one of its most important battles in the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. Facing Spain in what is likely to be a packed Telekom Center, the “blue-and-whites” need a win at all costs to keep their hopes of qualifying alive.
The 82-76 loss to Ukraine in Riga has put Greece in a particularly difficult position, as their record slipped to 3-4 and their margin for error has now narrowed dangerously. The matchup against “Rochas,” which sits atop the group with a 5-2 record, thus takes on the feel of a final.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Vassilis Spanoulis’s team knows that simply putting in a good performance won’t be enough. They need a win against a high-caliber opponent who is ahead in the standings and has taken a significant step toward the next round.
Thousands of fans will be cheering on the “official favorite,” setting the stage for a great night of basketball. The challenge for Greece is to turn its home-court energy into a competitive advantage and secure the victory that will allow it to continue vying for a spot in the 2027 World Cup 2027.
On the court, Vasilis Charalampopoulos received the green light from the medical staff, trained with the team, and will take the place of Nikos Persidis. It should be noted that he had suffered a partial tear of the patellar tendon in last Saturday’s friendly against Poland, but his condition has improved dramatically, allowing him to rejoin Vasilis Spanoulis’s roster.
The Greek team’s roster: Tyler Dorsey, Giannoulis Larentzakis, Vasilis Toliopoulos, Nick Calathes, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Vasilis Charalampopoulos, Antonis Karagiannidis, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dinos Mitoglou, Omiros Netzioglou, Thanasis Bazinas.
Spain left Yusta and Almansa off the 12-man roster. The team’s coach, Chus Mateo, will have the following players at his disposal: Álvaro Cárdenas (Valencia), Baba Miller (Clippers), Sergio De Larea (Mavericks), Jaime Pradilla (Real), Mario Saint-Superi (Valencia), Dario Brithuela (Barcelona), Alberto Diaz (Malaga), Hugo Gonzalez (Celtics), Willy Hernangómez (Málaga), Adai Mara (Thunder), Juancho Hernangómez (Panathinaikos), Joel Parra (Barcelona).
The National Team’s Results and Schedule
Round 1: Ukraine – Greece 82–76
Round 2: Greece – Spain (August 31, 7:00 p.m.)
Round 3: Greece – Georgia (November 26)
Matchday 4: Spain – Greece (11/29)
Matchday 5: Greece – Ukraine (2/26)
Matchday 6: Georgia – Greece (3/1)
Group Standings
1. Spain 5-2
2. Ukraine 5-2
3. Montenegro 4-3
4. Portugal 4-3
5. Georgia 3-4
6. Greece 3-4
*photo source: National Basketball Team
