Real Madrid lives its European premiere at home against a toned Zalgiris
The Madrid team once again examines its undefeated record in its first Euroleague match at the WiZink Center
MADRID, 16 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid receives the Lithuanian Zalgiris Kaunas this Tuesday at the WiZink Center (8:45 p.m.) in the duel corresponding to the third day of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague 2023-2024, the first continental test at home this season that will measure performance initial positive for the madridistas against a rival who is also going through a great moment and is equally undefeated.
The current European champion faces his first, and always demanding, double day at home during the week of the maximum continental competition in a great state of form and spirit and with the clear objective of beginning to turn his pavilion into a fortress for his team. first visitors, two historic ones like Zalgiris and, above all, the Italian Armani Milano, which is among the candidates for the ‘Final Four’.
The team led by Chus Mateo has started its campaign strongly and has already won nine consecutive victories, ten if we take into account the friendly match last Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks, and has built good feelings to show that it wants to aspire to everything despite than not having touched up almost anything with your template.
In addition, of those almost ten successes, the first two that have come in the Euroleague have been at home and in two of the traditionally most complicated fields such as Baskonia (77-79) and Turkish Anadolu Efes (80-103 ), another reinforcement for a team that at home usually misses out on few victories throughout the season.
The Vitorian team has probably been not only the one that has come closest to beating them but also the one that has best managed to stop an offensive machine that is bordering on a high level, with three games already above one hundred points, including this Sunday against UCAM (106-92), and three others with 90 or more. An attack with many and varied weapons from a team that has recovered two key pieces also in defense such as Walter Tavares and Gaby Deck.
In addition, Rudy Fernández, absent in Istanbul and against the Murcian team, also has options to return to receive a Zalgiris that wants to be competitive again against the best in Europe supported by its team and despite not having big stars in its squad .
The Lithuanian team, which has also won its first eight official games of the season, is, along with Real Madrid, Barça and Valencia, the other team that has started with 2/2, with two close wins, in Bologna against Virtus (79-82 ) and at the Zalgirio Arena against Serbian Red Star (79-74).
Now, he will try to beat the champion, whom he has already been able to surprise in the last two seasons in Kaunas, but against whom he has fallen in his last five visits to the Sports Palace and whom he has only won once away from home, in 2019 , in this 21st century. The American guard Keenan Evans, the Latvian center Rolands Smits and the Lithuanian forward Edgaras Ulanovas are three of its key pieces.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
REAL MADRID: Campazzo, Causeur, Musa, Yabusele and Tavares — possible starting quintet–; Deck, Poirier, Hezonja, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Llull, Ndiaye and Diagne.
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS: Evans, Dimsa, Ulanov, Smits y Hayes –possible quintet initial–; Birutis, Butkevicius, Giedraitis, Lavrinovicius, Lekavicius, Manek y Mitrou-Long.
–ARBITRATOR: Javor, Jovcic y Koljensic.
–PAVILLION: WiZink Center.
–TIME: 20.45/#Let’s go.