FRANCE VS. SERBIA: Rematch in Orleans! Eagles Hunt Second Victory Against Les Bleus
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- In their first encounter three days ago, Serbia clinched a dramatic victory
- Ahead of the Orleans clash, our head coach Dušan Alimpijević shared his insights
France vs. Serbia (Tip-off at 6:00 PM CET)
Match Preview
Serbia's top basketball players defeated France in their first friendly match last Thursday evening in the Arena. Three days later, it's time for the 'Gallic Roosters' to return the hospitality to the 'Eagles' as the two national teams face off in their second friendly game this Sunday evening.
The game tips off at 6 PM CET in Orleans, where Nikola Jokić and his teammates arrived on Saturday and held their first practice session.
Alimpijević Shares Expectations
Upon arriving in Orleans, Dušan Alimpijević, Serbia's head coach, reflected on their performance in the Arena and then previewed the upcoming duel against Victor Wembanyama and his squad. This comes ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers. Serbia is set to host Iceland in five days, followed by an away game against Italy.
"This first game and the one we'll play tomorrow have shown us many positive aspects that we need to nurture going forward. Our guards played aggressive defense, especially at the start of the third quarter. From that, we generated easy fast-break points; the team ran well, and that's something we've been working on. Of course, we also saw some negatives, which is completely normal for this stage of preparations. Our priority in the second game will be to identify and correct these mistakes before the matches against Iceland and Italy." - Dušan Alimpijević
The coach also announced a different distribution of playing time compared to the first match in Belgrade:
"The roster will be different. We have some minor injuries, nothing serious, everything is under control, but we don't want to risk anything. We will certainly distribute minutes more effectively, moving towards a more balanced use of players rather than focusing on who is performing better or worse at a given moment. It's important for more players to get minutes and to avoid unnecessary heavy workloads before the upcoming windows."
Alimpijević doesn't hide his satisfaction with the team's work ethic and conduct during these preparations. He particularly emphasized the team chemistry and the refreshed energy compared to the previous international window.
"I am very pleased. The entire coaching staff and I enjoy working with these guys. We have a fantastic atmosphere, and it's not just talk; you can see it in how they fight for each other, cover on the court, and share the ball. We must be endlessly grateful to the people who answer the call for national team duties. There are more and more games, the demands are enormous, so this is a big 'thank you' to all of them. There's also a noticeable sense of refreshment, as the players managed to rest compared to the last window, which came right after a demanding season." - Dušan Alimpijević
Davidovac Stays in Belgrade
Dejan Davidovac was not among those who traveled to Orleans, remaining in Belgrade as a precautionary measure, despite the experienced forward participating in the first game at the Arena.
Young and talented Nikola Džepina, who was part of the Serbian national team that won silver at the U20 European Championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team, was on the flight to Orleans.
The complete list of players who traveled to Orleans on Saturday morning includes:
Nemanja Dangubić, Aleksa Avramović, Ognjen Dobrić, Jovan Novak, Marko Gudurić, Nikola Milutinov, Nikola Tanasković, Stefan Momirov, Arijan Lakić, Nikola Đurišić, Nikola Jović, Nikola Jokić, Mihailo Petrović, and Nikola Džepina.
Where to Watch France vs. Serbia
As mentioned, the match between Serbia and France begins at 6 PM CET. You can catch the live broadcast starting at 5:50 PM CET on RTS 2, and from 6 PM CET on Arena Premium 3.
What Awaits Serbia After Returning from France?
After the game in France, the team returns to Belgrade, where our national team will first host Iceland on August 28th. Iceland suffered a comfortable defeat in a friendly clash against Finland on Friday evening, 93-78.
Three days later, Serbia will visit their traditionally tricky rivals, the Italian national team.
Video: Jokić, Milutinov, Jović, and Dobrić take down Wembanyama, then declare: "We showed fighting spirit!"
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