Italy's second European fixture will take on Georgia tomorrow afternoon (2:00 p.m., live on Rai, Sky, and Dazn) at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol. After a setback in their opening match against Greece, the Azzurri are called upon to react quickly to avoid complicating their qualification process.
The opponent, however, is not the softest. Georgia entered the tournament with a decisive victory over defending champion Spain (83-69) , a result that ignited the team's enthusiasm and confirmed the solidity of the group led by Serbian coach Aleksandar Dzikic. The roster is built on physicality under the basket, with two NBA-level big men in Sandro Mamukelashvili (Toronto Raptors) and Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic). The experience of Toko Shengelia, a Barcelona player fresh from winning the Italian title with Virtus Bologna, provides balance and quality.
Italy is looking for answers after a first outing hampered by poor shooting percentages (35% from the field). Attention is focused in particular on Simone Fontecchio, the designated leader, who finished with an uncharacteristic 1-for-11 from the field against Greece. Encouraging signs have come from the bench, however, from youngsters Matteo Spagnolo and Saliou Niang, among the liveliest in the closing stages of the opening game.
"Thursday's defeat was a shame, but it shouldn't leave any lasting effects," Fontecchio commented on the eve of the match. " A bad night can happen, it happened to me: no need to worry . Georgia is a physical and well-prepared team; it will be a very intense match, but we'll be ready."
