Day 1 preview: Spain and Serbia to get the ball rolling with classic European derby

BRATISLAVA/PIESTANY (FIBA U18 European Championship 2017) - The opening day of action at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017 has a couple of classic rivalries in store for basketball fans, most notably the clash between European powerhouses Serbia and Spain in Group B.

After finishing fourth both at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015 in Kaunas and the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2016 in Zaragoza, the Sergi Martinez-led Spain will be looking to tip off their campaign with a statement, both to assert their medal intentions and shake off the podium curse that has been following them.

In spite of having top-level talents in Marko Pecarski and Andrija Marjanovic, Serbia have not been among the top teams in recent tournaments and will be hoping to get back on track after a somewhat disappointing Quarter-Finals exit two years ago at the FIBA U16 European Championship.

Although the 1999-born generations are yet to meet head-to-head, the countries have been pretty evenly matched at the U18 level throughout the years, with Spain holding a marginal 5-4 advantage in the contests between the nations. They most recently met at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2015, with the Spaniards winning the first meeting in the Second Round, but Serbia getting revenge in the Classification Games for 5th to 8th Place.

Meanwhile in Group D, defending FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 title-holders France will test FIBA U16 European Championship 2015 winners Bosnia and Herzegovina, but both of the teams will be missing their top talents.

France’s top guns Jaylen Hoard, Yves Pons and Joel Ayayi are all unavailable with injuries, while Bosnia and Herzegovina point guard Sani Campara and Njegos Sikiras will be left with a big burden to handle, with Dzanan Musa with the senior national team.

Tournament hosts Slovak Republic will be hoping to start their own Group D campaign with a win against Latvia, while Germany and Turkey will engage in an exciting and unpredictable clash in Group A earlier in the day.

You can follow Live Updates throughout each game day, watch all of the games for free on the FIBA YouTube channel and follow #FIBAU18Europe across social media.