huge surprise, Italy dismiss the Serbian favorite and will find France in the quarter-finals

Incredible! Favorite of this Eurobasket, Serbia was eliminated in the round of 16, beaten by surprising Italy, Sunday, in Berlin (94-86). It all happened in the fourth quarter, overflown by the Italians in the same way that Turkey had put the head of the France team upside down on Saturday. With the difference that this time, there was no miraculous comeback in favor of the Serbs. The Blues will face Italy on Wednesday (5:15 p.m.) in the quarter-finals.

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The feeling is huge. The Balkan formation has long seemed in control, carried by its star Nikola Jokic, she at the rendezvous (32 points, 13 rebounds in 29 minutes). The Squadra Azzurra saw their fiery coach Gianmarco Pozzecco being sent back to the locker room by the referees for two technical fouls. The tears of their coach, inconsolable, transcended the Italians, already very catchy. With a diabolical three-point address (16/38) and a huge heart, the teammates of surprise hero Marco Spissu (3.8 points on average in the tournament, 21 this Sunday) anesthetized suddenly unrecognizable Serbs.

Those who had walked in the group stage (five wins in five games, all by more than ten points) left the competition prematurely. At the same time, they open the table of the France team… Because Vincent Collet’s men already imagined themselves facing an obstacle course: a quarter against Serbia of Nikola Jokic, double best player of the season consecutive in the NBA, before potentially finding the Slovenian prodigy Luka Doncic in the semi-finals, then the Greece of Giannis Antetokounmpo, another double NBA MVP, in the final. But Italy confirmed all the density of European basketball. Here she is next opponent of the Blues, who had won twice in preparation against the Transalpins.