Poland vs Finland: Analysis and Prediction – Poland will play against Finland in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Poland vs Finland Odds
Poland Team News
In the first duel of the tournament, Poland lost to the Bahamas by 90:81, in a game in which the most effective players were Aleksander Balcerowski with 22 points and Jeremy Sochan with 16 points. Mateusz Ponitka was also notable with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, but it was not enough to outplay a quality rival.
It was known even before the clash with the Bahamas that defensively, Poland must enter the game well and do something similar to what Finland did. It’s an extremely aggressive defense on the one hand and an efficient offense on the other. True, Finland is a better team in terms of shooting, so it was easier for them, but Igor Milicic’s team did not fulfill even the first condition. The Bahamas already scored 30 points in the first quarter and gained a double-digit lead, after which there was really no way back for Poland, although plus 10 is not too much of a difference. Buddy Hield tormented his opponent well, as he made five three-pointers, while the Bahamas were 13/29, that is, 44 percent of shooting from distance. When that was the case, Poland could not evaporate, even though they had about the same percentages. Igor Milicic’s team shot 29/60 from the field, and the Bahamas 31/60, which was enough for Poland to lose and now find themselves in a position where only a win leads them to the next stage and a clash against the host Spain. Mateusz Ponitka, who is the engine of this team, was stopped to the greatest extent despite his excellent statistics, but Jeremy Sochan was the one who failed the most. He had as many as six turnovers and it was evident that he could not cope with the aggressiveness of the Bahamas’ backcourt.
Such a way will be the recipe for Poland in the next meeting. Finland can be very difficult if they get into a shooting rhythm, which is why Mateusz Ponitka first has to be more aggressive against the opponent’s backcourt. If Poland puts the necessary pressure on Finland, they will be in a good position to win.
Finland Team News
Finland, like Poland, lost to the Bahamas in the first game, with the fact that this team did so with a slightly larger deficit – 96:85. The most effective in that meeting were Mikael Jantunen and Edon Maxhuni with 20 points each, proving that they can be an extremely high-quality tandem.
Finland can be satisfied with how they played most of the game against the Bahamas. No one expected that such a powerful rival could be in a disadvantageous position after the first half, when Finland, on the wings of a fantastic three-point shot, threatened to reach a double-digit advantage. It didn’t matter then to the Bahamas, who continued to increase their aggressiveness in defense, in the end forcing as many as 17 turnovers from their rivals and because of that they won. What Finland lacked was the correct selection of fouls, considering that the best player Mikael Jantunen had big problems with personal fouls. In the end, he collected five of them and it had great influence on the epilogue of the meeting. Another thing is insufficient aggressiveness, which is the first condition for the Bahamas not to reach open positions, because in that case they become very dangerous. Finland ended the game with only one more foul than the Bahamas, which is not a positive fact, as the European team needs to play much harder. When it all comes together, it’s clear why Finland couldn’t win.
In the next meeting, all that should change. Poland has more quality players and if one of the main players gets into any problem, it can be replaced more easily. If that happens to Finland, which for example is again without Mikael Jantunen, it would be much more difficult.
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Poland vs Finland H2H
Absences and Injuries
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