Italy – Iceland 74-81: news and highlights of the Eurobasket 2025 qualifying match
The reasons for theIceland they weigh more than the pitch factor and the public’s warmth for the player from Reggio Emilia Nicolò Melli and of the many innovations showcased by Pozzecco in a match that at theItalia it wouldn’t have changed much in the run-up to Eurobasket 2025.
In the first quarter, Italy shoots poorly (25% from the field and 1/8 from three), Iceland doesn’t and also finds a 12-0 run to fly away with seven different players scoring. At the first siren, the result is 22-9 for the guests, who unlike Italy still have to fight to secure the last place at the European Championships.
The Azzurri manage to mend the gap before the break. Nicola Akele e Diego Flaccadori on the shields at the start of the second part, but two heavy baskets arrive from the arc to bring Italy back into contact. Those of Marco Spisso e Michele Vitalifor 27-28. Jon Axel Gudmundsson responds with the same coin, but Melli takes care of it with the first basket of the evening to keep the gap at just one possession at 29-32.
Melli’s second basket is the one for overtaking (34-33), closing a pick’n’roll with Spissu after the 1/2 free throws Haukur Palsson and the triple at the beginning of the third quarter Pippo Ricci. The Olimpia Milano winger will immediately do an encore, but the Icelanders go to the line a lot (with Italy immediately in the bonus) and this helps them get back ahead in the score, despite 6 of the 8 points of the evening by Giordano Bortolani.
The scoreboard reads 56-58 at the start of the quarter, Iceland continues to load the Italian defense with fouls and Italy doesn’t score a field goal for almost half of the quarter. When Michele Vitali is released from the arc, his triple is worth 60-65. Kristinn Palsson responds on the next possession and starts the breakaway. Two triples are useless for Ricci’s -6, who will end the match on the bench for fouls. Iceland reaches +18, defeats Reggio Emilia 74-81 and gets closer to the European Championship train.
A train on which Italy, before taking to the field, has already boarded, with two more qualifying matches to be played in February to close the group.
