Real Madrid and Valencia Basket attend their European duel 'touched'

Real Madrid and Valencia Basket attend their European duel 'touched'

MADRID, 8 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid will play this Thursday at the WiZink Center (8:45 p.m.) against Valencia Basket in their second consecutive duel against a team from the Endesa League in the double day of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague 2022-2023, a game that both attend 'touched' after losing this Tuesday.

The Real Madrid team saw a triple on Matt Costello's buzzer give Cazoo Baskonia the victory in front of their fans (81-85) and the loss of the provisional leadership, breaking a good moment of five consecutive wins, while the 'taronja' He couldn't either at La Fonteta with an improved Armani Milan, which also won tightly by 84-88 to prevent him from entering the playoff zone and extend his losing streak to three.

Now, without too much time to reflect on these setbacks, harmful due to how the matches were, those of Chus Mateo and Alex Mumbrú will meet again less than a month after having met at the Badalona Olympic in the quarterfinals in the final of the Copa del Rey where the Valencian team had the last possession to knock out the man from Madrid, in what will be their fourth match of the season.

For the moment, and unlike what happened with Baskonia, who have beaten them every time, the ten-time European champion has dominated Valencia Basket this season, although only in the league match at the WiZink Center (79-62) did he do so. They did it with authority, because in the first round of this Euroleague they also suffered to win 73-80.

Chus Mateo stressed that the Valencian team "always" seeks "the tickles with outside shots from their 'big ones'". "It is something that we must take into account. They have very good players on the perimeter and of great quality, capable of scoring more than 20 points on their own and we will have to be careful because one-on-one and pick and roll ' They generate a lot of play," he said.

"It will be a difficult game and we have to see how we recover physically after the wear and tear on Tuesday. Last time they beat us in the last second and I'm sure that after losing and we were about to beat them last time, they will go with the lesson learned "They are a great team with weapons everywhere and they will surely make three or four changes to play better physically. We will have to be good offensively and defensively since another scenario is not the same as at home," warned Mumbrú.

Next week Real Madrid will once again have a double continental matchday due to their postponed match against Turkish Anadolu Efes, whom they want to visit next Tuesday without urgency and recovering a strength at home that this year is not being so predominant with four defeats already conceded (Olympiacos, Virtus, AS Monaco and Baskonia).

Improving the burden of the losses he suffered against Joan Peñarroya's team (17) will be key to better controlling the pace of the game against an opponent who has already won this year on difficult pitches and who also likes to play looking at the opponent's basket. In this sense, the 'taronja' will need a better night in the treble than the one they had against Armani Milan (8/30).

Chus Mateo will have to wait and see if he can count on two important players like Walter Tavares, a pivotal player in attack and defense, but who forced himself to play against the Baskonia despite his ankle problems, and Guerschon Yabusele, who became knee damage. Alex Mumbrú will continue with the loss of Kyle Alexander and has the serious doubt of Jaime Pradilla, while the novelty is the return of the Icelandic point guard Martin Hermannson, seriously injured at the end of last season.

REAL MADRID: Williams-Goss, Hanga, Musa, Deck and Poirier -- possible starting quintet -- Tavares, Causeur, Sergio Rodriguez, Hezonja, Yabusele, Rudy Fernandez, Cornelie, Abalde and Ndiaye.

VALENCIA BASKET: Jones, Radebaugh, Puerto, Webb III and Dubljevic --possible starting five--; Harper, Claver, López-Arostegui, Prepelic, Rivero, Evans, Hermannsson, and Pradilla.

--REFEREES: Difallah, Balak and Giovannetti.

--PAVILION: WiZink Center.

--TIME: 20.45/DAZN.