The EuroLeague 2025/26 regular season has come to a close, and with it, the Play-In bracket has been finalized. This preliminary round will determine the two remaining spots for the playoffs. The current competition format maintains an intermediate path between the regular season and the championship playoffs, increasing competitive tension in the upper standings.
Unlike the traditional system, where the top eight teams advanced directly to the playoffs, now only the six best teams from the regular season earn automatic playoff berths. Teams finishing between seventh and tenth place must compete in the Play-In to complete the final playoff bracket.
Following the final matchday, the four teams battling for those two spots are Panathinaikos, AS Monaco, Barcelona, and Crvena Zvezda. The matchups have been set with a first game between the seventh and eighth seeds, Panathinaikos and AS Monaco, and a second matchup between the ninth and tenth seeds, Barcelona and Crvena Zvezda.
The format continues to reward the highest-seeded teams in the standings. The winner of the Panathinaikos vs. AS Monaco game will earn a direct playoff spot and face the second-place finisher from the regular season, Valencia Basket. The loser, however, will not be immediately eliminated but will receive a second chance.
In this way, the team that loses in the seventh vs. eighth seed matchup will face the winner of the Barcelona vs. Crvena Zvezda game. That final matchup will decide the eighth and final playoff spot, with the added challenge of facing the regular season leader, Olympiacos.
Thus, the EuroLeague 2025/26 Play-In is designed as a high-stakes round, with Panathinaikos and AS Monaco competing on the fast track to the playoffs, while Barcelona and Crvena Zvezda must overcome two hurdles to stay alive in the competition.