Valencia Basket wants to take off in Bologna
BARCELONA, 28 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket visits Virtus Bologna this Thursday (20:30) at the Virtus Segafredo Arena, on matchday 27 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, with the intention of opening a new streak of victories after the long break for the Cup and the FIBA Windows and, in the process, prolong the bad moment of the Italians, who could benefit from that time of reflection.
Virtus would have come into the clash poorly if it had not been for those three weeks of absence from continental competition. With three defeats in the last four rounds, the Italians have dropped to fifth place but that bad moment is behind them and now, thanks to the cups and international dates, they could wipe the slate clean.
In any case, Valencia Basket, which comes with everything, will try to deepen that bad streak and leave Bologna with renewed dreams. If they win, Álex Mumbrú’s team would be just 2 wins behind those of the ‘black V’ and would continue in the fight to access, at least, the new ‘Play-In’ of the Euroleague.
It’s about winning, on a complicated track where few teams have managed to get away with it. In fact, only Zalgiris Kaunas on the first day and AS Monaco (78-81) on the last day have been able to storm the Bolognese arena. Valencia Basket wants to be the third in contention, despite the added difficulty that the locals will do everything possible not to concede twice in a row at home.
But the ‘taronja’ team is comfortable as a visitor and has won two of its last three outings and a good part of this is thanks to its defense, as it is the team with the best defensive rating in the tournament (107.4 points conceded every 100 possessions) .
Only Boubacar Touré, long-term absent, will not be on the ‘taronja’ side in Bologna although, yes, the French center Damien Inglis joins the concentration directly in Italy and almost without training with his teammates, as he is the last international to return from his call.
“It’s going to be a complicated game from the mentalization point of view. We haven’t done any training together yet, those who have been in windows have just arrived. In Virtus too. In our case there is a player who is going to go directly to Bologna without even passing through Valencia. It is a bit of a surprise game to see how we are able to take and recover everything we have as soon as possible,” acknowledged the Valencia Basket coach, Álex Mumbrú, in the preview.
The ‘taronja’ are playing their 500th official match in European competitions in Bologna, the 203rd that Valencia Basket plays specifically in the Euroleague, with a balance that so far is 97 wins and 106 losses. It will also be the fourth visit to Bologna, the first to the current fiefdom, with a balance of 2-1 for the locals.
However, the general head-to-head in the Euroleague is in favor of Valencia Basket by 2-1, as Mumbrú’s men have won in both La Fonteta games. This season, the duel ended 79-71 for the ‘taronja’, with 17 points from Chris Jones and 12 points from Davies and Robertson.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
VIRTUS BOLOGNA: Hackett, Cordinier, Belinelli, Shengelia and Dunston –possible starting quintet–; Lundberg, Pajola, Dobric, Mickey, Polonara, Zizic and Abass.
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones, Robertson, Anderson, Reuvers and Inglis –possible starting five-; Harper, Puerto, PRadilla, López-Arostegui, Jovic, Ojeleye and Pangos.
–REFEREES: Javor, Nikolic and Peerandi.
–PAVILLION: Virtus Segafredo Arena.
–TIME: 20:30/Movistar+.