Real Madrid seeks revenge against Scariolo and bring the ‘Top 4’ closer
MADRID, 23 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will pay a visit this Friday (7:00 p.m.) on the thirtieth day of the 2022-2023 Euroleague Regular Phase to the Italian Virtus Segafredo Bologna, a rival who was already able to defeat them at the WiZink Center and against whom they hope to take the rematch to take one more step to ensure the ‘court factor’ for the ‘playoffs’.
The Madrid team shows up at Sergio Scariolo’s house with their ticket already secured for the qualifiers, their first ‘must’ in the European campaign, and now they intend to close their presence in the top four as soon as possible to make sure they play in front of their fans three of the five theoretical games of the crossing bound for the ‘Final Four’ in Kaunas.
The team coached by Chus Mateo is with a positive balance of 20-9 and installed in second place, two wins away, having lost the ‘basket average’, of the leader Olympiacos, and with an advantage over Barça, with the that they have lost the particular confrontation, and over AS Monaco, with whom they have won it, while they lead fifth, Turkish Fenerbahce, by three, with five matches to go.
Precisely, Dimitris Itoudis’s team will be their next visitor next week at the WiZink Center in a last doubleheader of the regular season that may be key to certifying the next objective. Chus Mateo has already warned that this is the main thing without being aware of who the ‘playoff’ rival may be.
In addition, Real Madrid will play in Bologna at a time of some irregularity and in a very demanding stage, against a Virtus that practically risks its chances of trying to get into the top eight, something that currently has two victories to go. The Madrid team stumbled for the fourth time this season against Baskonia, who defeated them again at the Madrid stadium, a setback that joins a few recent games where they have not been excessively reliable.
However, the ten-time European champion is being solid at home and despite adding five defeats, including the last one at the Sinan Erdem Arena, he is the second best visitor in the Regular Phase, which will be against the greatest strength of the Virtus before his public, against whom he has added eight wins.
The team coached by national coach Sergio Scariolo will try to repeat their good performance in the first round, when they won 91-95, although the Italian coach will try to reduce the number of points to increase his chances. At the moment, the visit of one of his former teams comes after a great league victory at home against Armani Milan (69-75).
Chus Mateo, who has shown his concern about the problem with losses (17 in the loss against Baskonia), will continue to be without Sergio Llull and Nigel Williams-Goss due to injury to face a team that will also have a significant loss in point guard position like that of veteran Milos Teodosic. Neither will Isaia Cordinier or Alessandro Pajola, while Scariolo recovers Semi Ojeleye.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
VIRTUS BOLOGNA: Hackett, Lundberg, Abbas, Mickey and Maiteh –possible starting five– Shengelia, Belinelli, Mannion, Bako, Weems, Ojeleye.
REAL MADRID: Hanga, Causeur, Deck, Yabusele and Tavares — possible starting quintet –; Musa, Hezonja, Sergio Rodriguez, Abalde, Rudy Fernandez, Poirier, Cornelie and Ndiaye.
–REFEREES: Hordov, Nikolic and Shemmesh.
–HALL: Virtus Segafredo Arena.
–TIME: 19.00/DAZN.