Great performance by Barreiro (16-10)

Luis Guil bet on Andrés Rico, Sergi García, Jonathan Barreiro, Alejandro Mazaira, and Ramón Vila to start the European Championship. It was the small forward and the center who led to a spectacular performance by the U18, scoring nine points between them and forcing the French coach to call a timeout just two minutes into the game. Both offense and defense were working well for Spain, with only five points allowed at the halfway point of the first quarter. The Spanish coach started making substitutions, applying different offensive variations, such as putting Barreiro at power forward. And in defense, a 3-2 zone with the Real Madrid small forward leading the way. As the minutes went by, the French defense tightened, but Spain, using the same recipe, maintained their lead and went into halftime with a six-point advantage.

France comes back three by three (30-30)

The start of the second period didn't bring any changes to the game. Spain continued to show great defensive solidity, allowing them to keep their lead to more than six points (20-13). But a 6-0 run by Loubaki (with a three-pointer and a 2+1) forced Luis Guil to call a timeout four minutes into the quarter. Another long-range shot by Ona Embo tied the game at 22, the first tie since the initial 0-0. And the French comeback was completed with another three-pointer by Loubaki (24-25). Ramón Vila emerged as the offensive support for U18M at that moment. His six points kept Spain ahead (30-29), overcoming a few moments of difficulty. A free throw by Loubaki (16 points in the first half) left the score tied going into halftime.

Spain withstands the French surge (46-48)

The return to the game brought a first minute of imprecisions from both teams. Nerves and tension from the opening game took their toll, and the score didn't change as freely (tied at 36 halfway through the quarter). Luis Guil made new combinations with his squad, without a true center and with two point guards (García-Pérez-Yusta-Barreiro-Mazaira). A three-pointer by Sergi García halted the worst moments for U18M and tied the game again at 41. But now the control of the game was in the hands of the French team, who opened up a gap with another three-pointer by Ona Embo (43-48). A 2+1 by Santi Yusta stopped this surge and ended the period.

U18M pays for a poor start to the period (58-64)

The final quarter didn't start well for Spain: a 0-5 run and a timeout from Luis Guil when only a minute and a half had passed. The French surge continued, and they reached a ten-point lead (48-58). The Spanish coach sought a reaction from his team by again relying on two small forwards (Eric Vila and Barreiro), but at 5:16 he had to call another timeout (51-60). But U18M remained stuck on offense because their defense was the same as always. Time was running out (54-62 with 2:30 left), and Spain, looking for something extraordinary, had two opportunities to get within four points, but a dunk by Gombauld sealed the game.