Real Madrid and the great opportunity to be champion
The whites can dethrone Barça this Sunday and celebrate it at the Palace
MADRID, 18 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid have in their hands to be champion of the Endesa League this Sunday (18:00) in front of their fans and against their eternal rival, a Barça forced to win the fourth game of the final ‘Playoff’ of the Endesa League at the Wizink Center if you don’t want to give up the crown.
Pablo Laso’s team, led by Chus Mateo since the Basque suffered a heart attack two weeks ago from which he is recovering favorably, moved one victory away from the title by winning with authority on Friday, with the series going to the capital.
With the arrival of Sarunas Jasikevicius last season, Barça had gone six games without losing at the Palacio, but Madrid were strong at home this time to overwhelm their rival and live one of the great nights in communion with a devoted public.
The series was tight but on Friday the white team hit the table, with total intensity and concentration during the 40 minutes, to make it 2-1. Tavares, Poirier and Yabusele sent under the hoops and, from defense, Madrid set the pace for the game, with points from Deck, Causeur and Llull.
Barça saw themselves without options in the third quarter and began to think about this Sunday, where “life” is at stake, as Jasikevicius said. After winning the League and Cup last year, both at the expense of Madrid, the culé team sees the project of the Kaunas coach capsize against the whites, who can stop the eternal rival in its tracks.
The azulgrana team has lost steam in the last two months and, despite its theoretical wardrobe, depends mostly on the work of Calathes and Mirotic. The 1-1 they put in the second game at the Palau was rather suffered and in the other two games Madrid has been clearly superior, especially on Friday.
Thus, the champion needs a championship rearmament this Sunday, in an environment that will undoubtedly be hostile again. The Palace will want to play its role in the great option of being champion for a Madrid that has not been in the League since 2019. Outperformed in everything so far, Barça will try to have a fifth game at the Palau on Wednesday.
DATASHEET:
–EQUIPMENT.
REAL MADRID: Hanga, Causeur, Deck, Yabusele and Tavares –possible starting five–; Rudy Fernández, Poirier, Taylor, Abalde, Núñez and Llull.
BARÇA: Calathes, Higgins, Exum, Mirotic and Sanli –possible starting quintet–; Laprovittola, Abrines, Martínez, Davies, Kuric, Jokubaitis, Nnaji, Smits, Hayes.
–REFEREES: Hierrezuelo, Perea and Martín Caballero.
–PAVILLION: WiZink Center.
–TIME: 18:00/#Let’s go.