At the conclusion of the penultimate week of EuroLeague regular season action, four teams who could very well compete in the Final Four in Istanbul face off on Friday.

Real Madrid hosts Fenerbahce in the Spanish capital on Friday with both sides still playing for position as we get set for the Playoffs.

A win for Real Madrid in front of their home fans coupled with a CSKA Moscow loss would seal top spot whereas a victory for Fenerbahce would cement their spot in the top four heading into the final week of action.

“We play against the leaders, a team that has a full roster, but more important is that they play as a team,” Fenerbahce coach Zeljko Obradovic explained.

“They have quality in every position. We know it will be very difficult, but is a very important game for us. We have some problems in our roster, but it’s not the time to cry, but to understand how important this game is for us.”

Any slip up by Real Madrid could open the door for CSKA Moscow to regain top spot ahead of round 30. Photo: EuroLeague Basketball.

For CSKA Moscow, any slip up by Real Madrid could open the door to regain top spot as they travel to Athens to take on Panathinaikos.

But there is also plenty to play for if you’re representing Panathinaikos. A win would keep their hopes of a place in the top four alive as the EuroLeague enters its final week of action.

“Panathinaikos has a momentum lately, they are fighting for home-court advantage in the playoffs so the game is important for them,” CSKA coach Dimitris Itoudis said. “But we want to win it too, we are healthy and playing good basketball, so we want to continue the same way.”

∞∞∞ CRVENA ZVEZDA FACE UNICS KAZAN KNOWING WHAT AWAITS THEM ∞∞∞

Crvena Zvezda go into Friday’s fixture with Unics Kazan knowing that whatever the result, they will be going into the final round of action next week with Darussafaka Dogus with the winner advancing to the Playoffs.

After opening their EuroLeague season against each other, Crvena Zvezda and Darussafaka Dogus will end it with the winner advancing to the Playoffs. Photo: EuroLeague Basketball

For Unics, the result is also a dead rubber for them as they have been eliminated from Playoff contention but they have the chance to break a 12-game losing streak in Belgrade.

∞∞∞ GALATASARAY FANS WILL SAY GOODBYE IN ABDI IPECKI FAREWELL ∞∞∞

One of the most-passionate fan bases in Europe will bid farewell to the EuroLeague for the season when Galatasaray hosts its final game of the season against Baskonia.

Though Galatasaray has been eliminated from Playoff contention, it has played well as of late and won four of its last five home games. Baskonia on the other hand has claimed a spot in the next phase and though currently ranked seventh, could still climb as many as three more spots if it wins out and other results go its way.

The other encounter playing on a five-game Friday sees Zalgiris host EA7 Milano with both sides playing purely for pride.