Does Germany improve on their opening victory?

Before the start of the EURO Basket 2022, the demands on the German team were very clear. At least the minimum goal was formulated. Bosnia and Hungary have to be beaten in the preliminary round to enter the round of 16. On Saturday, the second match is on the agenda for the German basketball players and it is one of those key games against the representatives from Bosnia.

Now it’s not just about one of the first four places in the group of six, because after the opening victory over France, third or second place or possibly even more should now be possible. The important thing is to avoid the top teams in the round of 16, and every position better than fourth place increases the likelihood of avoiding the strong teams from Spain and Turkey in the play-offs.

Germany are at the top of the standings for now after their first group match and victory over Olympic silver medallist France. The Bosnians also won their first match against Hungary. Otherwise, defending champions Slovenia are also on a level playing field after beating Lithuania.

But the Bosnians are by no means to be underestimated. Just last weekend, they also beat the French in the World Cup qualifiers. Gordon Herbert will sensitise his team accordingly. With the right attitude and the support of 18,000 fans in the Lanxess Arena, you should be right with a bet on a German victory in the duel between Germany and Bosnia – but the odds are correspondingly low.

Germany – Statistics & current form

A European Championship in one’s own country is something very special. After Gordon Herbert’s team had almost wrapped up the qualification for next year’s World Cup in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines in advance, they were able to turn their focus to the EURO Basket with freedom. Many experts claim that Germany has assembled the best squad in many years.

Elf victories from the last twelve games

In addition, there is an increased self-confidence that they have built up in the last few games. Overall, the German team has now won eleven of the last twelve matches and it wasn’t just walk-ins. Among others, there were the victories against the European champions Slovenia and the Olympic silver medallists France. Therefore, one could assume that the odds on a home win before the match between Germany and Bosnia would be very low.

This is mainly due to the fact that the German team has probably found its identity. A strong defence is the key to success. This became abundantly clear on Thursday in the 76:63 against the French stars. In addition, many players have outgrown themselves. Johannes Thiemann and Maodo Lo in particular made their mark on this game.

But there is still hope: Dennis Schröder, Daniel Theis and Franz Wagner still have a lot of room for improvement, especially on the offensive end. If the supposed stars can improve, then a lot is possible at this EURO Basket. In any case, there are a lot of indications that Germany will win for the second time on Saturday, and then Germany will already be in the round of 16 with one win.

Predicted line-up of Germany:
Lo, Giffey, Weiler-Babb, Voigtmann, F. Wagner, Theis, Schröder, Wohlfahrt-Bottermann – Hollatz, Thiemann, Obst, Sengfelder – Coach. Herbert

Bosnia – Statistics & current form

At European Championships you already regularly meet a Bosnian team. The big goal, apart from a good performance at the EURO Basket, is to participate in the World Cup for the first time next year. Currently, the Bosnians are fourth in the six-team group behind Lithuania, France and Montenegro. Only the first three will get a ticket. Adis Beciragic’s team is still in the draw.

Offensive strong, defensive rather average

Generally, the teams of the former Yugoslavia are considered very strong. Slovenia, Croatia or Serbia are currently rated higher, but on good days the Bosnians are capable of anything. This was shown not least in the World Cup qualifiers, when they got the upper hand after two overtimes against France in Sarajevo.

However, there were also defeats against Montenegro and Estonia in the run-up to the European Championship. Nevertheless, the start into the European Championship was successful. Adis Beciragic’s team won 95-85 against Hungary, with Dzenan Musa and Jusuf Nurkic being the outstanding scorers with 19 points each. Captain Miralem Halilovic excelled in rebounds.

In general, the Bosnians have their strengths on the offensive. It is above all Jusuf Nurkic (Portland Trail Blazers) and Dzenan Musa (Real Madrid) who have to be controlled. The naturalised John Roberson is responsible for the tempo. The Bosnians’ problem, however, is that they have a very strong starting five, but the options from the bench are rather limited.

Predicted Bosnia line-up:
Nurkic, Roberson, Atic, Halilovic, Gegic, Kamenjas, Campara, Musa, Penava, Lazic, Sulejmanovic, Vrabac – Coach: Beciragic

Germany – Bosnia Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance

It has not been very often that the paths of the selection teams from Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina have crossed. In fact, our research revealed only ten matches between the two rivals. In the direct comparison, the German team has the edge with 6:4 victories.

However, the only two competitive matches in the qualifying rounds for the 2003 European Championship went to the Bosnians. It is now nine years since these two teams faced each other. At the DBB Supercup 2013 in Ulm, Germany lost 62-73. The only German player who was already on board at that time was Niels Giffey. Otherwise, the German formation has been completely retreaded.

Germany – Bosnia Tip

There are some encouraging signs for the German basketballers. Eleven wins from the last twelve games are already a house number, especially since they also prevailed against the strong French and Slovenians. Add to that the really impressive performance at the European Championship opener in front of 18,000 frenetic fans against the Equipe Tricolore. The ingredients are right to go very far at this EURO.

In addition, the German top stars in particular have not yet put in their best performance. They can definitely do better in the coming games. In this condition, qualification for the last 16 should be just as obligatory as a win against the Bosnian team on Saturday.

But we also think that the German defence will be able to handle the strong Bosnian attackers. That’s why we don’t expect them to score much in this second match. Therefore, we have decided to play the betting odds on less than 160.5 points in the second group match between Germany and Bosnia.