Spain ensured safe passage to the final of the FIBA European Basketball Championship with a 92-80 victory over Macedonia in Lithuania on Friday.

The victory also means coach Sergio Scariolo's team now has its first tournament objective in the bag - a direct pass to next summer's Olympic Games in London. Its second, to retain the Eurobasket gold medal it won two years ago, is the challenge that awaits it on Sunday against France, NBA star Tony Parker leading his team to a victory over Russia in the other semifinal.

Macedonia has been the revelation of the tournament, packing few big stars but competing like a champion. In a tight game, Spain didn't take victory for granted until the last minutes, when it achieved a 10-point advantage and Macedonia knew its dream of reaching the final had died. With 35 points, Barcelona guard Juan Carlos Navarro was again the brightest star for the Spanish team.