MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers) – After providing some highly entertaining basketball to begin the Second Round, FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers will be back in action on Sunday for the second game day of the September window.

The three-game schedule includes three more teams eliminated from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, as Iceland, Romania and Sweden get ready to introduce themselves to the rest of the field.

The bar was set particularly high on Thursday in terms of excitement levels, with all four contests coming down to a single possession, not to mention the three overtime periods across them.  Can the new names on the block offer the same sort of excitement?

Group A: Denmark (1-0) v Sweden (0-0)

Time: 14:15 CET, Sunday
Follow this game because: If you haven't heard, Denmark have transformed into just about the most exciting national team on the continent. That should be enough to convince you their upcoming Scandinavian derby against Sweden is worth your while, even despite the fact Shavon Shields will be forced to miss the fixture.
Key matchup: There are a number of pieces coach Vedran Bosnic is missing for Sweden, but Christopher Czerapowicz is very much present. In the absence of Shields, Denmark will approach the game with a next-man-up mentality and someone like Jonathan Gilling might have to take on a bigger role.
Fact of the game: Already 2,560 tickets were sold to the fixture, with more than 24 hours remaining before the game. Will Denmark have a full house at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen?
The 'insider' prediction: An impressive double-overtime victory against Belarus on the road has shown Denmark to be a dangerous opponent for anyone but, despite missing a handful of important pieces, Sweden have to be considered slight favorites nonetheless.

Group B: MKD (1-0) v Romania (0-0)

Time: 18:15 CET, Sunday
Follow this game because: There aren't that many basketball twins around, let alone playing for their national teams and Vojdan and Damjan Stojanovski are still tearing up nets for MKD. They combined for 24 points in Thursday's win in Kosovo and will be looking to punish Romania next.
Key matchup: Romania's big man sensation Emanual Cate averaged 13.5 points and 10.2 rebounds the World Cup Qualifiers and is bound to cause MKD some problems down low, even with Richard Hendrix there to sure up the frontcourt.
Fact of the game: No country in the Pre-Qualifiers have more FIBA EuroBasket appearances to their name than Romania. They took part in the Final Round on 17 different occasions, tied by Belgium.
The 'insider' prediction: Like for so much of the games, this is another coin flip decision. However, going for MKD due to a combination of factors: home-court advantage, a more experienced team and a good vibe about them after close win in Kosovo.

Group C: Portugal (0-1) v Iceland (0-0)

Time: 19:30 CET, Sunday
Follow this game because: It might be too early to label this do-or-die for Portugal, but falling to a 0-2 start in the Pre-Qualifiers pretty much puts you out of business. The stakes are high in Sines for the home side.
Key matchup: Icelandic giant Tryggvi Hlinason will ask Portugal some serious questions and there might be little Portugal can do. How well they do in the Tryggvi quiz will rest on the shoulders of the tallest player on the squad, Claudio Fonseca, who is still a fair bit shorter than Hlinason.
Fact of the game: Iceland made their first FIBA EuroBasket appearance in 2015, also participating in the last edition of the tournament in 2017. They are only of two countries in the Pre-Qualifiers to have competed in both of the last two events.
The 'insider' prediction: This will be one match-up where home-court advantage will not sway the prediction in favor of the hosts. Simply said, Iceland have more talent than Portugal and should get the job done on the road.

FIBA