The 2013 FIBA Eurobasket tournament has come down to its last four teams, all of whom are aiming for a shot at continental glory. One team wants to retain the crown it has held since 2009 despite missing some key pieces; the other one wants to improve its performance and finally grab the one honour that has been elusive all these years.

It's down to the four best teams in the tournament, and we are expecting nothing less than the best performances in Friday's games.

Semifinal 1: Spain vs. France

Even though they are hosting the 2014 World Cup, Spain is leaving no stone unturned in their quest to retain the title they have held since 2009. Even without Serge Ibaka and Pau Gasol patrolling the interior, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is still a force to be reckoned with and has proven in the 2013 tournament that he is one of the best big men in the world. Spain also boasts one of the most fearsome guard tandems on the planet: Ricky Rubio and Jose Calderon have been playing sweet backcourt music so far, and Rudy Fernandez's explosion against Serbia proved to the rest of the continent that the Iberian peninsula has a lot of weapons in its offensive arsenal.

When it comes to NBA star quality, no other team comes close to France. With a Eurobasket lineup that features four current NBA players, France is clearly loaded at every position. Even at the center slot, 21-year-old center Joffrey Lauvergne has been solid in lieu of Chicago Bull Joakim Noah. Mickael Gelabale and Nando de Colo have been a one-two punch at shooting guard. But the best player, no doubt, at Eurobasket 2013 has been point guard Tony Parker, who once again scored above 20 in the quarterfinal game against Slovenia. Nicolas Batum was also explosive in the Slovenia game, spearheading a fastbreak attack that broke the backs of the Slovenians.

Friday's semifinal game should prove to be exciting as the battle will be fought mainly in the backcourt. While Ricky Rubio has been splendid so far in the tournament, the court savvy and experience of Tony Parker will be too much for the Spanish defense. However, if Spain plays to its strength -- that is, inside play -- Spain will get to the final yet again. Spain has to keep pounding the ball inside and to watch out for the perimeter play of France. France, on the other hand, needs to gang-rebound to fuel its fastbreak attack. This game will be too close to call, but Spain still has the upper hand given their championship experience.