The second game of Day One in Group A in Poznan will clash Israel and Croatia - two teams with different ambitions in the competition.
Croatia arrive as one of the medal contenders, while Israel aim at the Quarter-Finals but won't cry with just a spot in the Qualifying Round.
It has been 14 years since the last time Croatia won a medal, but now they plan to start a new count. If they dream of topping the podium for the first time ever, they should keep in mind that in all EuroBaskets in the 21st century the eventual champs won on opening day, so the first step to the gold starts against Israel.
Coach Jasmin Repesa enjoys a deep roster with big depth in the back and front court of Croatia. Nikola Vujcic, Marko Banic, Mario Kasun, Kresimir Loncar, Sandro Nicevic and Nikola Prkacin are six players that share the two inside positions and it will be interesting to see how they will share the minutes. Against the short Israeli team, they could be the deciding force.
In Israel Coach Zvika Sherf is the most experienced and veteran coach in EuroBasket, and this is his eighth time in the big event - much more than any other coach here in Poland.
In his eighth opening game he'll need to handle a medal contender but also recover from a tough preparation period, where the team carried several injuries and lost six of their nine games.
Nevertheless with Yotam Halperin, Lior Eliyahu and Yaniv Green they can be a headache to any team. After the retirement of Meir Tapiro from national team, the biggest question on the Israeli squad is the point guard position, where the uprising 21 year old Gal Mekel is starting already in his first EuroBasket.
Israel would hope to catch Croatia rusty, and steal a win. The fact they beat Croatia two years ago in EuroBasket give them hope they can do it, but also hope Croatia won't be highly motivated to revenge.
Head-to-head: Last time was also the first time and not too long ago. The first and only time Israel and Croatia went head to head was in the Qualifying Round of EuroBasket 2007. Israel was on a great shooting day and won 80-75, but saw Croatia sail to the quarter-finals eventually.
Stats: In that win over Croatia two years ago Israel's center Yaniv Green wrote one of the most impressive double-doubles in the tournament with 17 points and 16 rebounds in addition to three blocks. Israel managed to even out Croatia in the rebound in that game, and that was a key part in the win.
Key Match-Up: Mario Kasun usually starts for Croatia in the center position. He'll take on Yaniv Green at the other end and will need to eliminate his presence. Both players are known to get into quick foul trouble, but while Kasun can allow himself, Green would have to be careful. If Kasun gets Green in early foul trouble the road for Croatia to be the paint masters will be clear, and the win more reachable.
X-Factor: Lior Eliyahu of the Israeli team is one of the best players in the competition in drawing fouls from his opponents. The athletic forward is quicker than most of the forwards on the Croatian side, and his ability to create points make him a headache for any team. If he gets the Croats bigs in foul trouble, Israel will be able to eliminate a bit of the big advantage Croatia suppose to have under the boards.
Sounding-Off: "I think Croatia is one of the medal contenders in this EuroBasket, they have all the tools, and it's going to be very hard." - Israel's forward Ido Kozikaro.
