EuroLeague chains another double gameweek. Round 8 is played Tuesday and Wednesday, and Round 9 between Thursday and Friday, so coaches will again have to manage their rosters carefully. The three Spanish teams that won away last week—Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia—face very different challenges. Baskonia continues searching for a reaction from last place.
Valencia Basket-Fenerbahçe: a top-tier clash
The game of the round is played Tuesday at La Fonteta (20:30). Valencia Basket is third with a 5-2 record after their victory in Paris, with TJ Shorts named MVP of the round, and hosts Fenerbahçe, who share the best record (6-1) with Panathinaikos. The Turks come off a win in Piraeus in an extreme defensive battle (61-64). Valencia also arrives with confidence after beating Baskonia in the Liga Endesa. The winner will cement their place at the top of the standings.
Baskonia-Real Madrid: the last-place team faces a surging Madrid
Buesa Arena hosts Tuesday (21:00) a classic matchup at a critical moment for the Vitoria team. Baskonia is last with a 1-6 record after falling in Athens, and also lost in Valencia over the weekend. Real Madrid, meanwhile, comes off a comeback in Tel Aviv with 21 three-pointers and a dominant win over iLERNA Lleida in the Liga Endesa, with Theo Maledon leading the way. The whites (4-3) are looking to climb into the direct playoff zone.
Bayern-Barcelona: Barcelona seeking their third straight win
Barcelona visits SAP Garden on Tuesday (20:00) aiming to add their third consecutive European victory after winning in Milan with strong rebounding and defense (81-89). At 4-3, the blaugrana are fighting hard for a top-6 spot, and won against Casademont Zaragoza in the Liga Endesa over the weekend with Juan Núñez leading the charge. Bayern (2-5) comes off allowing 107 points at home to Dubai and needs to react to avoid falling further behind.
Read also:
- Theo Maledon, October MVP
- Valencia Basket imposes their craft against Baskonia and returns to positive record in Liga Endesa (84-75)
- Matchday 5 of Liga Endesa: record three-pointers and eight teams at 3-2
Panathinaikos-Olimpia Milano: the leader faces a struggling rival
Panathinaikos (6-1), leading with the best point differential in the competition, hosts Tuesday (20:15) at OAKA an Olimpia Milano (1-6) that lost at home to Barcelona and is struggling to find its way. The Greeks beat Baskonia last week without needing their best version, and the Milan team needs a wake-up call to avoid falling behind before November.
Dubai-Paris: Dubai looking to confirm their strong start
Dubai (5-2) is one of the season's surprises and opens the round Tuesday (17:00) against Paris Basketball (1-6). Pascual's team comes off a dominant win in Munich, while the Paris squad has just one victory after losing at home to Valencia (93-104).
Crvena Zvezda-Maccabi: Zvezda seeking to bounce back from derby loss
Crvena Zvezda (4-3) hosts Tuesday (20:00) Maccabi (2-5) with the wound still fresh from their overtime loss to Partizan (85-82). Ibon Navarro's team wants to regain their rhythm in front of their home crowd, and also plays again Thursday at home against Bayern. Maccabi allowed 113 points against Real Madrid and has accumulated five losses in seven games.
Besiktas-Olympiacos: Olympiacos seeking a reaction
Wednesday opens in Istanbul (18:30) with Olympiacos (5-2) visiting Besiktas (3-4). The Piraeus team lost at home to Fenerbahçe in a low-scoring affair (61-64) and has a new addition to the roster, John Konchar. Besiktas lost the derby to Anadolu Efes and is looking to return to a winning record.
Hapoel Tel Aviv-Anadolu Efes: Hapoel on a roll
Hapoel Tel Aviv (5-2) hosts Wednesday (19:00) Anadolu Efes (3-4) after a convincing win over Virtus (90-81). Efes arrives with high morale after winning the derby against Besiktas, in which Santi Yusta posted his best game since arriving in Istanbul. It's a crucial game for Efes, who with a win would move closer to the middle of the standings.
ASVEL-Partizan: Partizan with the derby in their pocket
Partizan (4-3) visits Wednesday (20:00) ASVEL (2-5) after winning the Belgrade derby in overtime, with Pajola as the protagonist. The Serbian club has been one of the most active in the market, with the arrivals of Antonio Reeves and Robert Franks. ASVEL comes off allowing 105 points in Kaunas and needs to get a win at home.
Virtus-Žalgiris: Žalgiris with Keenan Evans
Wednesday closes the round (20:30) with a mid-table clash between Àlex Mumbrú's Virtus (4-3) and Žalgiris (3-4). The Lithuanians dominated ASVEL with 18 three-pointers in the game marking Keenan Evans' return, while the Italians want to forget their loss in Tel Aviv. Both play again Friday, with Virtus at home against Besiktas and Žalgiris against Partizan.