Game 2 Preview: Finland VS Great Britain

GB play Finland, the hosts of Group B, in their second match of FIBA EuroBasket 2025 this evening (29 August).

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

GB enjoyed a positive performance in their opening match against Lithuania on Wednesday.

Akwasi Yeboah carried his fine scoring form from the preparation tour into Tampere, Finland, putting up 17 points and driving GB forward in a strong first-half showing.

GB Captain Carl Wheatle’s characteristic defensive intensity was on full display as he consistently forced turnovers.

Myles Hesson’s experienced presence provided balance to GB throughout the game, grabbing buckets to alleviate the scoring pressure and taking on tough defensive assignments against the likes of Jonas Valanciunas.

Tarik Phillip also had a bright game, providing 10 points and three assists.

In his post-match interview, Head Coach Marc Steutel highlighted his satisfaction with much of the performance, despite the end result.

“I’m really proud of how we competed. I thought there were certain times when we imposed our style on the game, so we need to try to find a way to maximise those spells with a little bit more consistency.”

Looking ahead to Finland, GB will have a lot of positives to draw on.

Jabrile Belo-Osagie was at his dynamic best against Lithuania

When it comes to stars, you need look no further than Finland’s Lauri Markkanen.

The 7’0” forward currently playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA is a scoring phenom and has been proving so all throughout Finland’s preparation tour and into their first game against Scandinavian rivals Sweden.

Markkanen was awarded player of the game, recording 28 points, six rebounds, and three assists in Finland’s narrow win on Wednesday night.

The dynamic wing is on a tear at the moment, having scored 48 points against Belgium and 42 against Poland in the EuroBasket preparations.

Accredited EuroBasket media voted him second most likely to be the top scorer across the whole tournament, and he’s certainly well on his way to achieving that.

18-year-old Miikka Muurinen, also known as ‘Slim Jesus,’ announced himself on the international stage against Sweden, inspiring his country to a late comeback to win the match.

Despite being the youngest player at the tournament, Muurinen is unnervingly confident and looks ready to take responsibility in the most important moments.

Standing at 6’10”, the forward adds additional size and versatility to Finland’s frontcourt, and paired alongside Markkanen, will prove an imposing outfit for any side to face.

On the other end of the international career spectrum, 15-year veteran Sasu Salin is competing in his sixth, and possibly final, EuroBasket competition.

The sharpshooting 34-year-old made his 150th appearance for his country earlier this month and produced a trademark performance on Wednesday, making three of his four three-point attempts.

Salin is at the heart of Head Coach Lassi Tuovi’s game plan, providing both an exterior threat as well as playmaking creativity, as demonstrated by his seven assists against Sweden.

Starting with their prep tour, it couldn’t have gone much better.

The ‘Wolfpack,’ as they are colloquially known, won all four of their fixtures, meaning they were one of only two sides to go unbeaten in this period; Serbia saw victory in all seven of their matches.

Despite their dominant preparation form, Finland struggled in their opening game against Sweden, a far smaller and lower-ranked basketballing nation.

Sweden’s Ludvig Hakanson scored 28 points and dished five assists in a stand-out performance, whilst 6’6” forward Viktor Gaddefors missed just one of his eight shot attempts, adding 15 points and six assists.

Their impressive play took Finland all the way, with the Wolfpack edging out to victory after some late heroics from Markannen and Muurinen.

Finland have never medalled in their 18 appearances at the EuroBasket competition.

Their highest finish came all the way back in 1967, where they finished sixth place.

They have finished seventh twice in the tournament, the latter of which was at the most recent edition of the EuroBasket in 2022.

Hosting the competition for the second time in eight years, the Wolfpack will be hoping the home crowd will lift their side as they seek a spot on the podium for the first time.

The media voted Finland as the most likely to be a positive surprise at the tournament, and their fans were voted the second best ahead of the competition.

You can watch GB’s game against Finland at 6:30 pm (BST) on Friday, 29 August and is free to view on Courtside 1891.