Real Madrid begins its 2025-26 Liga Endesa Playoff campaign on Tuesday with an urgent need to change momentum. Sergio Scariolo's team hosts La Laguna Tenerife at Movistar Arena starting at 21:00, in the first game of a best-of-three quarterfinal series that leaves little room for error.
The white team arrives at this decisive moment of the season with home-court advantage and as the top seed from the Regular Phase, but also with more doubts than expected. After five consecutive losses in the domestic competition, three of them at home, the defending champion faces this matchup with the obligation to rediscover its best form to keep alive its last chance to win a title this season.
Injuries have significantly impacted Real Madrid's final stretch. The absences of Walter Tavares, Alex Len, and Usman Garuba have particularly weakened the interior rotation, forcing Scariolo to adjust resources in the final stretch of the season. Added to this context is the accumulated fatigue following the EuroLeague Final Four, a combination that has left Real Madrid in an uncomfortable position just before the Playoff.
La Laguna Tenerife is not arriving in its best form either. Txus Vidorreta's team has won just one of its last nine games across Liga Endesa and the Basketball Champions League, though it has a valuable recent precedent: its 90-95 victory at Movistar Arena before entering this slump. That triumph serves as a warning for a Real Madrid team that knows the series could become complicated if it doesn't enter with the right intensity from the opening minute.
The black-and-gold team also faces this matchup heavily impacted by injuries. Vidorreta will be without Gio Shermadini, after a controlled cardiac arrhythmia was detected, Bruno Fitipaldo, sidelined with a muscle injury, and Rokas Giedraitis, who suffered a serious knee injury weeks ago. The good news for La Laguna Tenerife is the return of Marcelinho Huertas, a key piece for maintaining offensive rhythm and finding advantages alongside Patty Mills, whose impact since his arrival has been very positive.
Real Madrid, for its part, has bolstered its interior game with Omar Yurtseven and Mady Sissoko, though it remains to be seen if the latter can make his debut after being announced just this Monday. The presence of new resources in the paint could be important for a team that needs to recover solidity, energy, and defensive continuity in a short series where every detail weighs much more heavily.
In this attempt to bounce back, Mario Hezonja emerges as one of Real Madrid's key references. The Croatian small forward, named Liga Endesa MVP, arrives in great individual form and will be one of Scariolo's primary offensive weapons to strike first, shake off the doubts, and push Real Madrid toward the semifinals.
The Playoff begins with a clear favorite by seeding, roster, and home-court advantage, but also with a delicate context for both teams. Real Madrid needs to reconnect in time; La Laguna Tenerife, despite its physical and results problems, has already shown it can cause damage in Madrid. The first answer will come this Tuesday at Movistar Arena.