This game features the highest and lowest of this tournament. Greece, being the defending champions, are still standing at the top of EuroBasket, until they are knocked off their pedestal.

Israel, being the last team to qualify, need to work their way up and are considered underdogs in every one of their games.

On paper the facts won't show you a bigger difference between two teams. On court, though, it's a different story.

Greece will play tough and aggressive while Israel will fight till the very last second. Those are things we can be sure of before the game has even tipped off and that in itself makes for a great game.

Last Time Out: In their last two official games, Greece upset the USA in last year's FIBA World Championship semi-final but then were humiliated by a Spain side playing without Pau Gasol in the following day's final. They will carry both memories with them to Granada. Israel, for the second time in a row, qualified for EuroBasket through the last qualification round. Zvika Sherf's side finished this round with a 7-1 record. In the last two deciding games, Israel showed they can win with tough defense and heart - as they did against Bosnia-Herzegovina - or with a great offensive performance, which they did versus Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Head-to-Head: On their way to the EuroBasket 2005 title Greece had to leap over Israel in the qualifying round with a 67-61 win. Greece was up most of the game, while Israel, as always, fought back and came close, but… not close enough.

		Israel need Halperin to have a big game offensively

Key Match-up: During the long and tortuous journey that has proved to be qualifying for this tournament, Israel's offense was heavily reliant on their backcourt duo of Yotam Halperin and Meir Tapiro. Sherf's team need a big game by at least one or both of these players in order to put a respectable amount of points on the scoreboard. However, that will be no easy task as they go up against a team which boasts the best defensive player in Europe, Dimitrios Diamantidis, with his spider hands and great wingspan. He will relish the challenge of shutting down the Israeli backcourt. If he is successful, then the defending champions will have a much easier time. Should he fail, we can expect another drama.

Statistics: Greece will be without Antonios Fotsis in who misses this championship through injury. Last year, he led the team in both three-point percentage (48%) and baskets made from long range. Greece will try to fill his void somehow and, against Israel, it might be more needed than against any other team. The challengers gives their opponents the chance to beat them from outside. In Israel's eight games in the qualifying round, they allowed other teams to take 25.5 three-point attempts per game on average. If no one can step in to take Fotsis' shots, Greece could be in serious trouble.

X-Factor: Both coaches will draw a lot of attention before and during the game. Yannakis and Sherf are recognized with the basketball of Thessaloniki. The former became the great player he was over there while the latter coached Aris, Paok and Makedonikos and is probably still the most recognized foreigner coach in Greece other than Zeljko Obradovic. Both coaches believe in hard work, team offense and tough defense. Their match-up is as important and as interesting to follow as any ono taking place on the court.

What It Means: In last year's World Championship, Greece played the weakest team in their group – Qatar - on opening night. In the first quarter, the underdogs shockingly jumped to a double-digit lead, catching the Greek lion off guard. Greece recovered and easily won but the unexpected first blow sent a warning: opening night is quite likely the best time for an upset. In this tough group, Israel must make the best of every opportunity they get of winning a game as they might not get another one. They should be encouraged by the fact that, of the last six EuroBasket champs, three of them have lost their opener the year they were defending their crown. Greece can't afford to lose. Not only because the loss would be a heavy one to carry as they play play Russia and Serbia in the following days and complicate the plans, but also for the sake of their image as proud champions coming here with a desire to repeat.