Valencia must beat Estrella Roja to dream again
BARCELONA, 5 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket receives Estrella Roja this Wednesday at La Fonteta (8:30 p.m.), on matchday 12 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, in a duel of great importance for the 'taronja', who must beat the Serbians to keep them below and dream of re-engaging in the fight to be in the 'Playoffs'.
With 5 wins and 6 losses, Valencia Basket seeks to change the course in the Euroleague and return to the path of victory, leaving behind the already too long bad streak of five consecutive setbacks, the last against Baskonia at home (84-98) .
Despite this bad moment that the 'taronja' team is going through, Red Star is still behind, with one less victory. Hence this duel is key. Winning, in addition to allowing Álex Mumbrú's team to continue with an advantage over the Serbians, would make them get out of the rut and dream again of a playoff zone that is just one victory away.
To leave the current nightmare behind, the first thing is to recover a better defensive level and 'dry' his former player Nemanja Nedovic, now Red Star's best scorer with 14 points on average so far in the Regular Phase. If the 'taronja' defense raises its level, it will be easier to recover the bridges to victory.
On the Valencian side, the pair formed by Semi Ojeleye and Brandon Davies is working quite well, but everything can be improved in a Valencia Basket in which Chris Jones or Damien Inglis should have more offensive weight. In addition, Mumbrú has no last minute casualties and will be able to look for a 'roster' capable of ending Red Star's resistance.
“It is a very good team that did not start the Euroleague very well, which has been reinforced very well this summer with many signings, with four top-level managers such as Nedovic, Teodosic, Napier and Yago Dos Santos. With very good outside shooting and with a very mobile interior game, which they are capable of playing in many different ways,” the 'Taronja' coach warned in the preview.
The Serbs are complete except for the loss of veteran Adam Hanga. Unlike Valencia, they have won two of the last four games, including the clash against Anadolu Efes Istanbul (97-83) and with a former Valencia player Mike Tobey who is gaining weight in the inside game of Ioannis Sfairopoulos's team.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones, López-Arostegui, Ojeleye, Reuvers and Touré –possible starting five–; Harper, Claver, Puerto, Pradilla, Inglis, Robertson and Davies.
RED STAR: Nedovic, Dos Santos, Mitrovic, Giedraitis and Bolomboy –possible starting quintet–; Lazarevic, Teodosic, Davidovac, Lazic, Simonovic, Napier and Tobey.
–REFEREES: Sukys, Javor and Radojkovic.
–PAVILLION: Fuente de San Luis Pavilion.
–TIME: 20.30/Movistar+.