EuroLeague
Photo: EuroLeague

After stopping a three-game slide last week at Barcelona, Baskonia host league leaders Real Madrid looking to reclaim their form which made them one of the toughest teams in the EuroLeague at home.

The last time Baskonia were at the Fernando Buesa Arena, they suffered an 87-69 loss to Crvena Zvezda. Before that they only dropped two games in two seasons in Vitoria.

Friday night they welcome Real Madrid, who leapfrogged CSKA Moscow last week to the EuroLeague summit and are looking for their seventh straight win.

However, the momentum on a personal level is in favour of Baskonia, who own three straight wins over the Liga Endesa rivals, including a 91-87 win in the Spanish capital in round three of the regular season. The hosts will look to keep this run going as they are slowly sliding down the table in sixth.

∞∞∞ RED STAR ARE SIMPLY RED HOT ∞∞∞

Crvena Zvezda host Anadolu Efes on Friday looking to keep the EuroLeague’s most talked about chapter going. The Serbian giants are currently seven games unbeaten while their opponents have lost three of their last four.

So both sides will head into Friday’s clash with current fortunes heading in opposite directions but that doesn’t mean that this won’t be an intriguing battle. Anadolu Efes currently find themselves locked in a battle for a Playoff spot, as they lie in ninth place while Red Star look to aim for home advantage once the regular season concludes.

The last time the two sides met in Istanbul, Anadolu Efes ran out comfortable 100-79 winners in round nine but this is a much different Crvena Zvezda to the one that played so woefully back on November 24.

∞∞∞ PANATHINAIKOS LOOKS FOR THE QUADRUPLE OVER GALATASARAY ∞∞∞

Playoff hopefuls Panathinaikos travel to Istanbul as they face struggling Galatasaray not only looking to keep their post-season aspirations alive but also to keep their perfect record against the Turkish side going, too.

The Greens are 3-0 against Galatasaray, who prop up the EuroLeague table with a 6-14 record so Panathinaikos will be a heavy favourite, but with their season in serious jeopardy, Galatasaray are backed into a corner and could be dangerous. They have also won their last two games at the Abdi Ipecki Arena.

“At this time, Galatasaray is a very dangerous team. They had two wins in a row at their home. It will be a challenge for us.” — Panathinaikos coach Xavi Pascual

“At this time, Galatasaray is a very dangerous team,” echoed Panathinaikos coach Xavi Pascual. “They had two wins in a row at their home. It will be a challenge for us. As in any game in EuroLeague, you have to play well both on defence and on offence, if you want to have chances to win.”

“Obviously we are going there to win the game, but we have to play good on the road,” added Panathinaikos forward Chris Singleton.

“We have to play hard from the start until the end of the game.”