Does the DBB selection also rock the capital?

The preliminary round of the EURO Basket 2022 is over. Especially in the German group, grandiose sport has been delivered. The Lanxess Arena in Cologne offered a great atmosphere for a whole week and that was mainly due to the fact that the German team played first-class games. Now it’s on to the play-offs in Berlin, where the crowd will also be pushing the players. Montenegro will be the German team’s opponent in the round of 16.

Germany fought hard to secure second place in an extremely strong and high-quality group. Gordon Herbert’s team delivered completely in all five matches. If you leave the co-favourites France and Lithuania behind, there should really be no limits for you at this European Championship. Now it’s a matter of looking from game to game.

So the opponent will be Montenegro. The team from the Balkans had to fight their way through a much easier group and finished third behind Spain and Turkey. The Montenegrins now have to travel from Tbilisi to Berlin.

Basically, Gordon Herbert’s team doesn’t have to do anything but continue playing exactly as they did in the preliminary round. The German basketball players have grown together as a team and should have the significantly greater individual quality than their opponents from the Balkans. Therefore, we tend to place a bet on a handicap win for the DBB giants between Germany and Montenegro.

Germany – Statistics & current form

It is exactly the home European Championship that was wished for from a German perspective. Gordon Herbert’s team grows with the tasks and is fuelled by a frenetic crowd. It will be no different in Berlin now, although the opponents will of course also have their fans in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Nevertheless, the hosts in particular will be buoyed by the atmosphere in Berlin.

Impressive series of the German team

If the German team manages to keep up their form after the move to Berlin, they should be able to make it to the quarter-finals. After all, there are currently 14 victories in the last 16 international matches, and the opponents have certainly had their work cut out for them. That’s why we’re sticking to our view that we’ll mainly be looking at the odds between Germany and Montenegro that have something to do with a German win.

On Wednesday, the German team had to play their last group match against Hungary and that was nothing more than a formality. Although Dennis Schröder, Daniel Theis and Nick Weiler-Babb were spared, the team won 106:71. Especially Christian Sengfelder and Justus Hollatz, who have not played at all so far, proved their class.

However, it must also be said that the Hungarians were already eliminated anyway and were hopelessly overtaxed in the fifth group game as well. Against Montenegro, Gordon Herbert will again send his best formation to the plate. Nick Weiler-Babb is still a bit of a question mark because of shoulder problems. Perhaps the Bayern Munich defensive specialist can be dispensed with against Montenegro.

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

Montenegro – Statistics & current form

The selection from Montenegro had a slightly easier time in the group stage to secure a slot for the round of 16. Behind Spain and Turkey, it was enough for third place in the preliminary round in Tbilisi. This is the second time after 2017 that the Montenegrins have reached the last 16 of a EURO Basket. Already, this is the setting of the biggest success for the team from the Balkans.

Fight until the last quarter

The group stage basically went as expected for Bosko Radovic’s team. They lost against Turkey and Spain, but against Belgium, Bulgaria and Georgia, the team led by NBA star Marko Simonovic of the Chicago Bulls won the games that were decisive for their entry into the round of 16.

Nevertheless, Montenegro had to tremble until the end for the trip to Berlin. In the last group match against the host nation Georgia, a win was needed to secure third place; a defeat would have meant elimination. For a long time, the game was on the line, but the Montenegrins held their narrow lead over all four quarters and won 81-73 in the end. Especially point guard Kendrick Perry attracted attention with many assists and several steals against Georgia, but also in the entire preliminary round.

In terms of play, Bosko Radovic’s team is comparable to the Bosnians, who caused the German team problems and won against Slovenia, among others. Therefore, it can be assumed that this will not be an easy game for the German team, but the forecast between Germany and Montenegro goes clearly to a home victory.

Predicted line-up of Montenegro:
Vuceljic, Ilic, Mihailovic, Pavlicevic, Radoncic, Simonovic, N. Radovic, Dubljevic, Nikolic, Drobnjak, Popovic, Perry – Coach: B. Radovic

Germany – Montenegro Direct comparison / H2H-Balance

In 2005 there was once an international match between Germany and Serbia & Montenegro. However, because the Montenegrins were not yet an independent nation at the time, there are still only two matches between the two opponents of this round of 16. Both matches were played within the framework of the qualification for the current EURO Basket.

Gordon Herbert will not look back fondly on those games, because the DBB giants lost both of them. In November 2020, Germany first lost 74:80 in their own hall. In February 2021, Montenegro repeated this success and also claimed victory at home with 82:75. Germany has therefore never won against Montenegro in basketball.

Germany – Montenegro tip

The German team has already experienced how difficult it can be against Montenegro in the qualifiers, when they suffered two defeats. In the meantime, however, Gordon Herbert has many new faces in his ranks and perhaps it is the best national team that the DBB has ever had together. The German team has won 14 of its last 16 games.

The preliminary round in Cologne also showed that they have the crowd behind them and that they can get a few more percentages out of themselves. We think the German team is strong enough to make it to the quarter-finals.

However, it won’t be a foregone conclusion. The Montenegrins certainly have their qualities. Bosko Radovic’s team is cool and plays very physically. Nevertheless, it would be a surprise if the Montenegrins made it to a European Championship quarter-final for the first time. That’s why we play the betting odds on a handicap win (-11.5) for the DBB giants in the match between Germany and Montenegro.