FRA/ESP - France, Spain to the battle stations

KATOWICE (EuroBasket Women 2011) - The EuroBasket Women throws up another intriguing showdown between France and Spain on Wednesday night.

The two sides are giants in the game and have gone toe to toe before.

Just last year at the FIBA World Championship for Women, the two clashed in a Quarter-Final in the Czech Republic.

France, one year removed from their European title triumph in Latvia, had been one of the only sides to give real problems to a talented United States squad and seemed to be on track for a podium finish in Karlovy Vary.

They led Spain 56-43 with 7:49 remaining in the last quarter and were still in front with 3:07 to go at 62-53.

If any side knows how to play when behind, it’s Spain.

After all, they had launched some famous comebacks over the year.

Their bronze-medal game win against Poland at the EuroBasket Women 2003 in Greece showed then that a Spain side with Amaya Valdemoro and Laia Palau can never be counted out.

A Polish side that had giant center Margo Dydek led by 17 points but Spain stormed back and won 87-81.

Palau and Valdemoro were in last year's Spain squad as well and made one big play after another.

Valdemoro hit a three-pointer with 23 seconds to go to cut what had been a 13-point deficit to 64-61.

She then made two free-throws with 10 seconds left to close the gap to one.

After fouling Endene Miyem and watching the promising French forward make just one of two free-throws, Spain gave the ball to Valdemoro and she delivered again, this time by driving into the lane and scoring over France center Emmeline Ndongue right before the buzzer to force overtime.

France again went in front in the extra period but didn't put Spain away.

A pair of Ndongue free-throws gave Les Bleues a 71-69 advantage but the scrappy Cindy Lima (pictured) made one of two free-throws and then with 38 seconds to go, she caught a beautiful, defense-splitting pass from Palau and made a lay-up to put her team in front to stay.

While Spain went on to beat Belarus and capture their first-ever medal at a FIBA World Championship for Women, France's once promising tournament was spoiled.

They've been stewing about this defeat ever since and will be looking to set the record straight when they meet Palau, Valdemoro & Co again in their Round 2 opener at the EuroBasket Women in Katowice on Wednesday.

It's going to be a monumental confrontation, especially because Sandrine Gruda, Emilie Gomis and Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui are back in the French squad.

All three won the European title in 2009 but didn't play last year while France also have veteran guard Edwige Lawson-Wade in the backcourt again for the first time since 2007.

"France is the most physical and powerful team in the tournament," Spain coach Jose Ignacio Hernandez said.

"They have a complete team after the four absences they had in the World Championship and hence, we will have to work a lot with their interior play and their physical strength because really, their interior play is among the best - not only in Europe, but in the world."

FIBA