Unicaja seeks to repeat feat against Real Madrid
The whites are favorites but the ‘composers’ come from knocking down the champion Barça
BADALONA, 17 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid and Unicaja will look this Saturday (6:30 pm) at the Badalona Olympic Stadium for the first ticket at stake for the Copa del Rey final, after a close and equal quarterfinal against Valencia Basket and Barça and with the perception that there will be a thrilling clash again.
The Cup already had its first surprise when Unicaja knocked down the reigning double champion in extra time, which they forced after coming back from a Barça that stood still, stunned, before the ‘cajista’ reaction. And Real Madrid was close to staging another surprise, but Chris Jones’ final shot for Valencia Basket did not go in.
This semifinal could be a Clásico, which will no longer be seen in Badalona. But in reality it could be any of the four possible semifinals, because the two quarterfinals were in a fist. Madrid and Unicaja are fair semifinalists, but if something else had happened, the opposite could not be said either.
It is Madrid and Unicaja, whatever it may be, who will now fight for a place in the grand final on Sunday. Real Madrid, which is in its tenth consecutive semifinal – it passed on nine of those previous occasions – and has not been eliminated in the quarterfinals since Vitoria 2013, knows that they will hang the favorite sign, but it is a pressure to which they are accustomed .
The worst news of the quarterfinals was not seeing that Valencia Basket came within a shot, two if you count the second final attempt, to snatch the position in this semifinal. No, the worst thing will be playing it without an injured Sergio Llull, with a knee injury after a fortuitous action with Klemen Prepelic. His position will be occupied by one of those not registered on Thursday (Alberto Abalde, Rudy Fernández or Eli Ndiay).
“Unicaja is a very difficult opponent. Barça had been playing very well, but Unicaja as well. They seem very solid, with very defined roles and playing with confidence. The pressure (against Barça) didn’t affect them that much either, they were seen with life and took advantage of the moment. He took the game with a very good note and without failing, and that says a lot”, warned the white coach, Chus Mateo, this Friday before the media.
And it is that Unicaja seeks to repeat the 2020 final, which they lost precisely against Real Madrid 95-68 at home, at the Martín Carpena. At the Olímpic, where they were the majority on Thursday, they have a lot of fans on their side to try to repeat the feat, this time against Real Madrid.
Of course, Ibon Navarro’s men come from playing a tough match against Barça, not resolved or closed in their favor until extra time. Game in which they were trailing, in which they knew how to suffer and where they celebrated the brilliant performance of Darío Brizuela and Kendrick Perry, with 27 and 22 points respectively.
Overcoming fatigue, knowing how to find other players who can be inspired if Perry or Brizuela fail, being able to prevent Madrid’s powerful inside game –with Edy Tavares, Guerschon Yabusele or Vincent Poirier– from prevailing… All of this will be key against a Madrid, without Llull, must also improve if they don’t want to suffer as much as they did against Valencia, whom they came to win by 16 points and who came close to being crushed on the last play, with those shots from Jones that didn’t go in.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
REAL MADRID: Williams-Goss, Musa, Deck, Yabusele and Tavares –possible starting five–; Hanga, Hezonja, Rodríguez, Poirier and Cornelie.
UNICAJA: Perry, Carter, Barreiro, Kravish and Ejim –possible starting five–; Djedovic, Thomas, Osetkowski, Kalinoski, Brizuela and Diaz.
— PAVILION: Badalona Olympic.
–TIME: 18.30/#Let’s go.