Barça faces ‘Fenerbarça’ in Istanbul
Jasikevicius, Sanli, Hayes-Davis and Calathes will receive their former team with hostility
BARCELONA, 19 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça visits Fenerbahçe this Wednesday at the Ulker Sports And Event Hall (6:45 p.m.) on matchday 30 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, in a duel between two teams from the upper zone, which are in a good moment in Europe, and that has the added morbidity of seeing several players face their former team but, above all, Sarunas Jasikevicius face his previous club.
Sixth against second, with only two victories difference between them. A Fenerbahçe that is playing to remain in the ‘Playoffs’ zone against a Barça that wants to continue being among the top four and without losing the trail of the leader Real Madrid. A lot is at stake in Istanbul in a duel that, in the preview, is marked by ‘Fenerbarça’.
Easy play on words to illustrate that Fenerbahçe is coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius and has Nick Calathes, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Sertac Sanli in its ranks. Four ex-blaugranas. At Barça, yes, they can respond with two ‘aces up their sleeve’; Jan Vesely and Nikola Kalinic return to Istanbul.
Beyond the tension that comes with a high-flying game in the Euroleague, so much crossing and so many comings and goings can have a weight on the court. We will have to see how much and who it affects the most. But the focus of the Blaugrana team must be, precisely, on the ball and on the court, on trying to win to continue its good European moment, after beating Partizan and Valencia Basket.
But it is clear that, without a doubt, the great curiosity is to see how the Barça players who were already there last year will react when playing against their former coach, the former player and Blaugrana legend Sarunas Jasikevicius. Emotions are running high, sure, off the court but, on the inside, the goal shared by ‘Fener’ and Barça is to win without taking the heart into account.
“We won’t discover what Saras is like, what a great coach he is. We have a lot of work here at the club, to think about things outside. We have studied them, we have prepared ourselves, but hey, it is clear that Fenerbahçe has made an evolution very positive,” highlighted the Blaugrana coach, Roger Grimau, in the run-up to the clash.
Fenerbahçe, with ‘Saras’ still settling in, has just won the last three games – against Liga Endesa Valencia, Real Madrid and Baskonia – and wants its fourth victim. A great streak that places them sixth in the table of this Regular Phase, in the ‘Playoffs’ zone that they will have to defend tooth and nail to avoid being relegated to the new ‘Play-In’ fight.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
FENERBAHÇE BEKO ISTANBUL: Calathes, Dorsey, Noua, Hayes-Davis and Sanli — possible starting quintet–; Motley, Wilbekin, Papagiannis, Biberovic, Guduric, Madar and Sestina.
BARÇA: Satoransky, Laprovittola, Kalinic, Parker and Vesely –possible starting quintet–; Da Silva, Brizuela, Rubio, Hernangómez, Abrines, Jokubaitis and Parra.
–REFEREES: Boltauzer, Bissang and Kardum.
–PAVIL: Ulker Sports And Event Hall.
–TIME: 18:45/Movistar+.