Scariolo threatens the stability of Real Madrid

Scariolo threatens the stability of Real Madrid

MADRID, 26 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid will once again have a new test to check its current reliability this Thursday at the visit to the WiZink Center (8:45 p.m.) of a historic European basketball team like the Italian Virtus de Bologna, directed by the national coach Sergio Scariolo and with a squad with potential, but that has not started well in the Regular Phase of the Euroleague 2022-2023.

The Madrid team has gone from being excited about the start of the season to having certain doubts. The current Endesa League champions won their first six official matches, including the Super Cup title against Barça, but now they have slowed down and have lost three of their last five.

Two of those defeats have come in the top continental competition against two direct rivals such as Barça and Olympiacos, and the other last Sunday in the domestic tournament against Cazoo Baskonia. All of them very tight and the last two with problems when it comes to playing the decisive measures in the best possible way.

The victory, without excessive brilliance, against the Serbian Red Star was a point of relief, at least to put the balance in the Euroleague equal (2-2) before receiving a Virtus, a novelty this season as champion of the Eurocup and which has not been measured for almost two decades.

The Bolognese team is not doing better at this start of the tournament where they have already lost three of their four games, the last one by almost 30 points against Zeljko Obradovic's Partizán, and they have only been able to beat Bayern despite having, in theory, a squad to aspire to better results and a renowned coach like Sergio Scariolo, who led Real Madrid to the ACB title in 2000 with that memorable victory at the Palau in the fifth game.

The Italian coach has at his disposal well-known names in continental basketball such as Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic, veteran Italian shooter Marco Belinnelli or point guard Daniel Hackett. However, at this start, he has not been able to count on a key piece to improve his performance, such as the Georgian power forward Tornike Shengelia, who seems ready to return to the WiZink Center.

The madridista defense, below its optimal level, will have to stop these players, especially Teodosic, Belinelli and Shengelia, who when inspired are difficult to stop, while the attack must also start to look more like the one of yesteryear, especially all in the Euroleague where he is still far from his best figures.

In this sense, the ten-time European champion continues to be weighed down by his numerous turnovers, 15 on average, something that an opponent who will also try to prevent Chus Mateo's men from imposing their rebounding strength and pace of play will try to punish. The Madrid coach has the good news of the return of Adam Hanga, but the bad news of Fabien Causeur's withdrawal due to plantar fasciitis.

REAL MADRID: Abalde, Deck, Musa, Yabusele and Tavares -- possible starting quintet -- Sergio Rodriguez, Llull, Hezonja, Poirier, Cornelie, Hanga and Ndiaye.

VIRTUS BOLONIA: Hackett, Lundberg, Ojeleye, Shengelia and Jaiteh -- possible starting quintet -- Teodosic, Belinelli, Mannion, Bako, Pajola, Cordinnier, Mickey and Weems.

--REFEREES: Boltauzer, Racys and Kowalski.

--PAVILLION: WiZink Center.