The Basketball Champions League plays in four-group blocks, and this week groups B, C, E and H compete in their third matchday. For Spanish basketball, it's the week of Unicaja and Asisa Joventut, who arrive undefeated with the chance to take a giant step toward first place—the only spot that grants direct passage to the Round of 16. Both teams, however, arrive after losing over the weekend in the Liga Endesa.
Unicaja-Pallacanestro Reggiana: exam at the Carpena
Unicaja (2-0) finally plays at home in the BCL on Tuesday (20:30), after commanding wins in Utena (69-105) and Pardubice (63-79). They face the team most capable of challenging them in Group E: Reggiana (1-1) opened with a win over Pardubice (82-65) but lost by one point at home to Juventus Utena (75-76) and needs to bounce back. Txus Vidorreta's team arrives with the wound from Sunday's loss to Barcelona, which snapped a five-game winning streak, and with Amine Noua and David Kravish in good form.
FC Porto-Asisa Joventut: leaders' first road test
Joventut (2-0) also plays Tuesday (20:30, 19:30 in Portugal), at the Centro de Desportos e Congressos de Matosinhos. It's their first away game in the competition, after wins at home in Badalona over Bnei Herzliya and Bonn, the latter by just two points (76-74) with Nico Laprovittola decisive once again. Porto (1-1) lost their opener in Bonn (78-74) and beat Herzliya (74-86), their first-ever BCL victory, though they fell by two points to Ovarense over the weekend in the Portuguese league. Penya, 2-4 in the Liga Endesa, also arrives with the departure of Eli Ndiaye, recalled by Real Madrid.
Also read:
- Brizuela decides at the Carpena and Barcelona beats Unicaja (89-92)
- Asisa Joventut beginning to worry, loss to Surne Bilbao (78-81)
- Three Spanish teams in BCL matchday 3
Group E: Juventus Utena-KVIS Pardubice
The other Group E matchup plays Tuesday (19:00) in Lithuania. Juventus Utena (1-1) comes off a surprise win in Reggio Emilia and wants to capitalize on it against Pardubice, making their competition debut and still winless (0-2). A Lithuanian victory would keep Utena in the fight for first place if Unicaja stumbles.
Group H: Telekom Baskets Bonn-Bnei Herzliya
Wednesday (20:00), Bonn (1-1) hosts the cellar-dweller of Joventut's group. The Germans beat Porto in their opener and lost in Badalona by two points. Herzliya (0-2), playing as the home team in Samokov (Bulgaria), needs a win to avoid falling behind.
Group B: four teams, all tied
Group B is the most balanced in the competition: SIG Strasbourg, Cibona, Galatasaray and Legia Warszawa all arrive 1-1. Tuesday (20:00), Strasbourg, which beat Legia by 38 points and lost in Istanbul (83-77), hosts Cibona, who beat Galatasaray in their opener but fell at home to Legia (77-95). Wednesday (18:00), Legia hosts Galatasaray in a direct battle for first place.
Group C: Antwerp unstoppable
Windrose Giants Antwerp is the team in best form this week: undefeated, averaging 101 points, and in the second matchday they dominated AEK in Athens (76-103). Tuesday (18:30) they visit Turku to face Salon Vilpas (0-2), who haven't won but have competed in both games, with Leland Walker (24.5 points and 7.5 assists) as their standout player. Wednesday (18:00), Falco Szombathely and AEK, both 1-1, battle for second place in Hungary. AEK arrives without a win in their last three games, and Szombathely won both previous matchups between the two.
UCAM Murcia and Surne Bilbao on break
Groups D and G, featuring UCAM Murcia and Surne Bilbao, played their third matchday last week and return next week. Bilbao (2-1) hosts ALBA Berlin on Tuesday the 10th in a crucial battle for first place, and UCAM Murcia (2-1), who lost the lead to Peristeri, hosts Bamberg on Wednesday the 11th.