Real Madrid wants to continue with the harvest in Athens
MADRID, 6 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will try to close this week's demanding doubleheader of the Regular Phase of the 2023-2024 Euroleague with a new victory in Athens, this time against Panathinaikos, whom it visits this Thursday (8:15 p.m.) supported by mental reinforcement of their excellent victory against Olympiacos in the Peace and Friendship Pavilion.
The current champion returned to the path of victory in the highest continental competition and after losing its unbeaten record last Thursday on the Fenerbahce court after an extra time (100-99), it rebuilt itself with a tight and hard-fought victory (71-77 ) on an always complicated court and against a tough opponent like Georgios Bartzokas in the reissue of the last tournament final.
The team coached by Chus Mateo continues to rise at the start of the season and now faces at OAKA its fourth and last consecutive outing in this section where a Panathinaikos awaits them who, like their last opponent, have not started very well either despite his ambitious project, but in his field it is being difficult to beat.
The 'PAO' arrives at the event after stringing together two new away defeats, this Tuesday against the Turkish Anadolu Efes (71-68) in the return of its coach, the sometimes extravagant Ergin Ataman, to Sinan Erdem, and the last week in Belgrade against Partizan (92-87), setbacks that broke their best streak of the season of four consecutive victories, three of them in a row at an OAKA where they have achieved five of their six victories that they have so far and that the Madridistas have not been at all bad.
To continue on the victorious path, the Madrid team will try to improve, above all, the aspect of losses, which in Piraeus (13) hindered them at times in their usual offensive rhythm, although they recovered part of their aim from the three-point line (10 /22), with special mention for Dzanan Musa (5/7). Panathinaikos, despite its position in the table, is the fourth team with the best average rating (93.2) and will rely on players like Kostas Sloukas, who will experience a nice duel with Facundo Campazzo, or Matthias Lessort, who will compete in the 'painting' with Walter Tavares.
“I expect a match similar to that of Olympiacos, in which we will have to fight until the end and in which we must not lose the pulse. Panathinaikos' style is different, but we will find a combative opponent who is coming off a defeat in Istanbul and will want make up for their fans. Victories like the one against Olympiacos confirm the team's chemistry, the daily work and how the players interpret the game plan,” Chus Mateo stressed in statements reported on the club's website.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
PANATHINAIKOS: Grant, Nunn, Grigonis, Mitoglou y Lessort –possible quinteto inicial– Sloukas, Vildoza, Guy, Balcerowski, Kalaitzakis, Antetokounmpo y Mantzoukas.
REAL MADRID: Campazzo, Causeur, Musa, Ndiaye and Tavares — possible starting quintet–; Alocen, Poirier, Deck, Llull, Hezonja, Rudy Fernandez and Abalde.
–REFEREES: Difallah, Racys and Cici.
–PAVILLION: OAKA.
–TIME: 20.15/#Let's go.