89-95: Portugal surprises Spain in Zaragoza

The national team party began with disappointment. Portugal spoiled Aday’s debuts Mara and Baba Miller with Spain assaulting Prince Philip of Saragossa 89-95 in what is the second defeat for Chus’ team Matthew in this qualifying phase.

Manresa Travante’s ex Williams (22 points) and the former Penya Ruben Prey (15) were two pillars of the Portuguese victory in a final game in which they did not even need the assistance of a limping Neemias queta (16) to control the advantage. Spain lacked rhythm in the face of greater rival intensity and only Álvaro Cardenas (18) and Dario Brizuela (19) showed consistency in attack on a day of poor aim and desperation.

With this setback Spain is more forced to respond on Monday in Athens before a Greece desperate if they do not want to see their situation complicated in Group I of this second phase. The first three achieve the ticket for Qatar 2027.

Portugal He knew how to set the pace and tone of the game that best suited him at the start, with a toughness that went well with the referee’s criteria. With that and greater success in the outside shot, starting with two initial triples from Ruben Preydominated at the start with a 9-14 and a 12-19 that forced Chus Matthew to time out. Spain increased its level of aggressiveness but did not have accuracy (1 of 9 in the first three-point shots) suffering until 14-21 at the end of the quarter.

Things seemed to straighten out in the second quarter, with the Spanish team’s rotation already complete and some more outside baskets. Coinciding with the entry of Saint-Supéry and Millerit seemed that things were going right until 36-28 (min. 16) but a scoring streak by Rafa Lisbon He returned control to the Portuguese who equalized again and took the lead in the final stretch of the second quarter, managing the response to the Spanish defensive pressure well.

some basket of Prey At the restart he sowed concern again but Spain relied on a great streak of determination and success from Álvaro Cardenas to react in this quarter to the point of taking the game to their own territory and thinking about the escape (70-63). The Portuguese, in any case, did not lose their calm and knew how to react led by Queta and with providential shots from their outsides until the score was 71-71.

They took the game to their own territory and knew how to exploit Spain’s growing nerves to escape again (71-78) shortly before they had to do without queta for some inconvenience. Without him they got within ten (81-91) in the final minute, in which the Spanish pressure covered up a painful difference.