MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers) – The FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers are back with more captivating action in the November-December national team window.

Eight of the dozen teams involved will take the floor already on Thursday, as battles for the first four direct tickets to the Qualifiers intensify as we approach the halfway point in the Second Round.

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

Time: 19:00 CET, Thursday
Follow this game because: The recently-appointed Sweden boss Hugo Lopez will make his debut in charge of the national team after long-time head coach Vedran Bosnic was let go after a disappointing defeat to Denmark in September.
Key matchup: The return of Devon Saddler is as big of a relief for Belarus playcaller Aliaksandr Krutsikau as it is a headache for his direct opponent Thomas Massamba. The two going at each other will be a sight to watch.
Fact of the game: Despite not being able to help the team on the court due to an injury, Viktor Gaddefors will be in Uppsala to support his older brother Anton and the rest of the Sweden squad.
The 'insider' prediction: Factoring in the considerable absences on Sweden's side, their home-court advantage may not hold water. It should be a close game, but Devon Saddler tips the scales for Belarus just ever so slightly.

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

Time: 18:00 CET, Thursday
Follow this game because: After picking up losses against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the previous window, Romania and Kosovo will be feeling the urgency to get on the board in Group A. Even winning the remaining games might not be enough for the team that drops to 0-2.
Key matchup: On a good day, Dardan Berisha is capable of burying any team in the Pre-Qualifiers. On a not-so-good day for him, though, Kosovo could struggle against anyone. No matter how you look at it, the backcourt duel between Berisha and Giordan Watson will shape the game.
Fact of the game: Having claimed their maiden international win just over a year ago in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Pre-Qualifiers, Kosovo are yet to register their first victory away from home.
The 'insider' prediction: Turns out, Emanuel Cate, Vlad Moldoveanu and Bobe Nicolescu will not help Romania. That's a massive opportunity for Kosovo to get a historic win on the road. 

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

Time: 20:45 CET, Thursday
Follow this game because: The first couple of games in Group C were exciting one-possession ball games, with the home team prevailing on both occasions.
Key matchup: Ismael Bako and Khalid Boukichou will have their hands full trying to contain the Icelandic giant Tryggvi Hlinason, who scored 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in a loss to Portugal.
Fact of the game: With a population of little over 355,000, Iceland are the smallest nation in the FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers.
The 'insider' prediction: As much as Iceland would like to extend the home-friendly trends in Group C, they will be the underdogs against the Dario Gjergja-coached Belgium even despite the late scratch of forward Hans Vanwijn.

Group D: Great Britain (0-0) v Austria (1-0)

Time: 20:00 CET, Thursday
Follow this game because: Great Britain were the only team not in action in the previous window and have not played since being eliminated from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers. The game in Manchester will give us an indication of where they are, form-wise.
Key matchup: There's an abundance of frontcourt talent on both teams, but it will be up to point guards Andrew Lawrence and Thomas Schreiner to get the big men of their respective team involved.
Fact of the game: Experienced wing man Sylven Landesberg, currently with Turk Telekom Ankara, is set to make his international debut for Austria.
The 'insider' prediction: Flipping coins or rolling dice may be a more accurate way to predict the close-fought FIBA EuroBasket 2021 Pre-Qualifiers, but the pairing of Dan Clark and Gabe Olaseni at home looks too good to turn down. Great Britain, but only by a little bit.

FIBA