Barça does not want scares against ASVEL
BARCELONA, 30 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça receives ASVEL Villeurbanne this Friday (8:30 p.m.) at the Palau Blaugrana, on matchday 11 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, in a duel that appears to be a trap as it receives a French team with only two victories, the same defeats as has the Blaugrana team, who arrives ready to assault the Palau and make Roger Grimau’s men doubt.
After beating Maccabi Tel Aviv (90-92) on the last day and, in the Endesa League, successfully beating Bàsquet Girona (115-78), Barça faces this visit from ASVEL with confidence and with the desire to add the It would be the third consecutive victory in the top continental competition, after also previously winning against Valencia Basket.
With a balance of 8-2, Barça faces an ASVEL that has an opposite balance of 2-8. Second against seventeenth. But the Blaugrana coach doesn’t even want to think about relaxation. “I’ve sometimes been afraid, after an important game in the Euroleague, to think that another one that’s a bit less exciting will arrive,” he noted in the preview.
“But I have never had this feeling. And at the Palau we are always animated, I have no complaints with this,” he added. So far, Barça has won the five games played in front of its fans and it would be a major surprise if ASVEL, which has lost three of the last four games and has not won as a visitor, were the first team to attack it.
Furthermore, Grimau revealed that both Jan Vesely and Rokas Jokubaitis have trained normally in the last group sessions, so they will be able to face the French team. The rest of the players, despite “some cold” this week, are also at their disposal for this duel that could be a trap to deactivate.
One of ASVEL’s threats is point guard Paris Lee, the best on his team in the very tight defeat against Bayern Munich last day (100-101). The former Blaugrana Edwin Jackson or the centers Joffrey Lauvergne and Youssoupha Fall will also call into question the Blaugrana’s defensive strength. Of course, the veteran and decisive Nando De Colo is a doubt.
At Barça, beyond the return of Rokas Jokubaitis and Jan Vesely who has the ideal profile to counteract the strength of the rival interiors, Nico Laprovittola is in good shape and was key, with 23 points, in the important victory against the Maccabi. A triumph that allows Barça to continue aspiring to be at the top, although to do so they will have to beat ASVEL this Friday.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
BARÇA: Satoransky, Laprovittola, Kalinic, Da Silva and Hernangómez –possible starting quintet–; Parra, Brizuela, Abrines, Parker, Nnaji, Jokubaitis and Vesely.
ASVEL VILLEURBANNE: Lee, Lighty, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Lauvergne y Fall –possible initial quinteto–; Scott, Kahudi, De Colo, Jackson, Egbunu, Ndiaye y Yaacov.
— ARBITRATOR: Hordov, Vilius y Vyklicky.
–PAVILLION: Palau Blaugrana.
–TIME: 20.30/Movistar+.