BARCELONA, 2 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça visits Paris Basketball this Friday at the Accor Arena (8:15 p.m.), on matchday 19 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, after closing 2024 with two defeats, with unexpected changes in the team with the departure of Raul Neto and with the desire to open this new year in better shape, although they visit a Parisian team that is one of the revelations of the year and that is in third position after a great first round in which, among other great victories, managed to storm the Palau Blaugrana.
A tough exit to Paris for a Barça that is not doing well on a sporting or institutional level. Neto, with experience in the ACB and NBA, came as a great patch for Laprovittola’s severe injury but, despite ensuring the club that he was physically fine, he was injured in the two games he played, leaving a legacy of just 7 minutes in two Euroleague duels. And, on the field, the Blaugrana team has three defeats in the last four continental matches, plus the defeat in the Endesa League Classic on December 29.
In this scenario, which is far from ideal, they must now visit a Paris Basketball team that is also eager to return to the path of victory after three consecutive defeats. Could he be finding his real place in the Euroleague? Could be. But it can also be a small slump from which to overcome with a victory at the expense of a Barça that is even worse. Despite those three losses in a row, the Parisians, coached by former Brazilian center Tiago Splitter, still have a lot of potential and, now, one more reason to win.
With a balance of 11-6 and a game in hand, the Parisians remain third, only behind AS Monaco and Olympiacos. They have 2 more victories than a Barça that is outside the access zone to the ‘Play-offs’ and the ‘Play-in’, and that must react as soon as possible so as not to be left out of that fight. Hence the importance of overcoming this key duel, to climb positions and to gain courage on one of the tracks where, at the beginning of the season, no one expected to suffer. Furthermore, Barça wants to leave behind the also unexpected 87-103 of the first round, at the Palau Blaugrana.
At the moment, the year is starting busy at Can Barça, with the termination of Raul Neto’s contract, after playing just 7 minutes in two Euroleague games and with two injuries in just a month and a half. “We need to incorporate some players to oxygenate the team,” acknowledged the Blaugrana coach, Joan Peñarroya, in the run-up to this clash. And, shortly after, rumors began to circulate about the hypothetical return to the Palau of a Thomas Heurtel who left at the end of 2020 and with controversy.
But, for Peñarroya, the situation is serious, having lost ‘Raulzinho’ Neto who had arrived at the end of November to replace the long-term injured Nicolás Laprovittola. “For us, this situation we have experienced is a disaster. It is bad luck,” said the coach, who wants to incorporate a player “with similar characteristics to Lapro.”
On the last matchday, the Palau could not prevent Barça from falling to Red Star (74-78), who won one more than the Blaugranas despite the good performance of Chimezie Metu who, already recovered from the recent injury , continues to improve his numbers (16 points and 6 rebounds). But the 15-22 score in the last quarter was decisive for that new ‘culer’ defeat in the Euroleague and in a Palau that is far from being a fortress.
And in front of them they have a Paris Basketball that they are suspicious of. “They play with many possessions, with a very dynamic and very fast game, with a lot of importance on their outside play, especially managed with their two point guards in one-on-one situations to attack quickly,” he highlighted from the French team, which comes from lose against ASVEL Villeurbanne in the French Euroleague duel, and against Real Madrid and Baskonia. Will Barça be the third ACB team capable of beating Paris Basketball?
TECHNICAL SHEET.
–TEAMS.
PARIS BASKETBALL: Shorts, Ouattara, Ward, Jantunen and Hayes –possible starting five–; Malcolm, Hifi, Cavaliere, Sy, Herrera, Kratzer and Lo.
BARÇA: Satoransky, Punter, Anderson, Metu and Vesely –possible starting quintet–; Brizuela, Hernangómez, Núñez, Abrines, Parker and Parra.
–ARBITROS: Radovic, Nikolic y Attard.
–PAVILLION: Accor Arena.
–TIME: 20.15/Movistar+.