Real Madrid does not want to get off the ‘Top 8’ train
The Madrid team needs the victory at the WiZink Center against the dangerous Zalgiris to get some air in the Euroleague
MADRID, 11 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will try to get some air in the Regular Phase of the 2024-2024 Euroleague with a more than obligatory victory this Thursday at the WiZink Center (8:45 p.m.) against a now direct rival like Zalgiris Kaunas, dangerous for having one of the players revelation of the year, although less reliable away from his court.
The eleven-time European champion solved last week’s doubleheader in the worst possible way. Two new defeats, one away against a rival from the bottom half like the French ASVEL Villeurbanne, and another at home against a ‘Final Four’ candidate like Fenerbahce, who dominated them quite firmly.
Two new setbacks that now bring to eight the total accumulated in this campaign in the highest continental competition, where Chus Mateo’s team has not finished getting going or gaining rhythm or the confidence that positive results give. With only six wins to his name, he is thirteenth, although the extreme equality this year in the Euroleague means he has only one in the ‘Top 10’ and two in the ‘Top 6’. At three, on the other hand, there is already a ‘Top 4’ headed by the surprising Paris Basketball that already has five victories over the current runner-up, who will visit them next Tuesday.
The sensations that Real Madrid are transmitting do not make us think at this moment of more ambitious objectives than trying to finish in the best position at the end of a first round for which three games remain, including a double final day next week where They will also host AS Monaco, currently fourth in the standings. And the first thing is to become strong again on their court against a Zalgiris that, led by the charismatic Andrea Trinchieri, is being very competitive, less so when it leaves the Zalgirio Arena.
The Lithuanian team is in ninth place with a balance of 8-6, so beating them seems key for the Madrid team, which received a morale boost over the weekend with its clear victory at the WiZink Center against Unicaja in the Endesa League and who hopes to give a similar level in attack after the problems they had last Thursday against Fenerbahce.
In addition, they will have to do their best in defense to stop the external power of Trinchieri’s team, personified above all in the American point guard Lonni Walker IV, who arrived in Kaunas with the season already started and who after a discreet start with 0 points in his debut against Bayern has gained strength and is now averaging 16.2 per game, with a lot of danger from the triple (19/43), which is why it predicts a nice duel with Facundo Campazzo, the most consistent of the local.
The explosive Sylvain Francisco and the veteran Bryan Dunston, who has given them strength to be one of the outstanding teams in rebounding, especially the offensive one, are other of their notable names in a Zalgiris with a lot of national players and which is one of the best defenses in this Euroleague (74.6 points conceded), but as a visitor they have only won in two of their eight trips and only one, in 2019, of their last 15 visits to the capital. Dovydas Giedraitis will be absent for the visitors.
TECHNICAL SHEET.
–TEAMS.
REAL MADRID: Campazzo, Abalde, Hezonja, Deck and Tavares –possible starting quintet– Musa, Llull, Ibaka, Garuba, Feliz, Rathan-Mayes, Ndiaye and González.
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS: Walker IV, Mitchell, Ulanovas, Sirvydis y Birutis –possible quintet titular– Dunston, Francisco, Brazdeikis, Manek, Smailagic y Butkevicius.
–ÁRBITROS: Javor, Koljensic y Kardum.
–PAVILLION: WiZink Center.
–TIME: 20.45/Movistar+ Sports.