Real Madrid look for more European joys in Russia
MADRID, 28 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will try to leave their double day in Russia with two valuable victories when they visit Unics Kazan this Friday in the Euroleague 2021-2022 (6:00 p.m.), a rival theoretically less important than Zenit, but that as a local offers a better performance.
The tough stretch of the calendar takes Pablo Laso’s men from Saint Petersburg to Kazan to close their tour of the country with the hope of scoring two always valuable away victories in the top continental competition.
For now, the ten-time European champion has started the Regular Phase well and is 5-1 after chaining his fourth win in a row against Zenit and his first as a visitor, after a hard match that was not decided until the final quarter.
The 68-75 victory against Xavi Pascual’s men seemed to show that the Madrid attack is not going through its most critical moment and that it has not been able to reach 80 points in its last three games (Fenerbahce -70-, Gran Canaria -70- and Zenit -75-), but that is gaining prominence to a defense that is being more solid and to which only Monaco has been able to hurt (88 points), although they left empty.
The Madrid team cannot trust a Unics, which is with a negative balance, 2-4, but that comes from winning with relative comfort this Wednesday at Bitci Baskonia by 83-69 after a first half where it left Dusko’s Ivanovic on 23 points and with a good game from his two interiors John Brown and veteran Vorontsevich.
Velimir Perasovic’s men, except for their debacle in Istanbul against Fenerbahce (80-41), have competed well so far and will not allow their rival to relax, forced to improve on the rebound compared to the clash against Zenit, where he was surpassed. (31-26) and conceded too many offensive sacks (10), and on the free throw. His last visit to the Russian team, in February 2017, resulted in a hard-fought 77-81 victory.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
UNICS KAZÁN: Lorenzo Brown, Brantley, Hezonja, John Brown and Vorontsevich -possible starting five-; Spissu, Canaan, Komolov, Klimenko, Uzinskii, Mayo and Jekiri.
REAL MADRID: Heurtel, Causeur, Hanga, Yabusele and Tavares –possible initial quintet–; Llull, Poirier, Taylor, Rudy Fernández, Abalde, Alocén, Vukcevic and Ndiaye.
– REFEREES: Lamonica, Bissang and Shemmesh.
– PAVILION: Basket Hall.