Crvena Zvezda-Real Madrid: all out for a second win in 48 hours
After beating Partizan on Wednesday, Scariolo's men are seeking their first away win in the Euroleague against the other Serbian team (7:00 pm CEST).
After Wednesday's victory over Partizan at the Movistar Arena, Real Madrid face Crvena Zvezda this evening at the Belgrade Arena in their second game in five days (they host San Pablo Burgos on Sunday). Scariolo's men will be looking to win their first away game and secure their fourth consecutive victory against an opponent they have beaten in their last six encounters.
Today, our team also begin a block of three EuroLeague away games that take them a long way from home. It will be a tough test, but also a good opportunity to pick up points on the road and stay near the top of the table (they return to Belgrade next week to face Maccabi and then travel to Munich to visit Bayern). Madrid come into the game in second place in a very tight table. They are in the leading group with five other teams (3-1), one more win than Red Star, who are twelfth in the chasing pack (2-2).
Scariolo's men will visit one of Europe’s trickiest courts due to the atmosphere and the pressure exerted by the fans. The Serbian team, with Sasha Obradovic as their new coach, inflicted Zalgiris' first defeat last week, although they lost to Milan on the opening day. Our team's defensive reliability (conceding an average of 77 points) will be tested by a very physical opponent that scores a lot of points (86 per game). Nwora has stepped up in the absence of perimeter players (Carter, Canaan and Graham). Miller-McIntyre is the other big name on the outside. In the paint, they have a lot of potential with Moneke, Izundu and the signing of Motiejunas. Other familiar faces from the ACB are Kalinic and Oleye.
It will be the 20th time they have faced each other in the Euroleague, with a 15-4 record for Madrid, who have won the last six games against Crvena Zvezda. The most recent meeting was a 72-78 victory last season in Belgrade with a double-double from Tavares. The centre was decisive against Partizan with 19 points, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 27.
More resources for Madrid
Scariolo has added another important piece with Maledon’s return. The Frenchman had the best debut for a Madrid player in the Euroleague since the 2010/11 season, equalling Carlos Suárez, and only surpassed by D. Lavrinovic (40 in 2008/10) and Felipe Reyes (30 in 2004/05). In 24 minutes against Partizan, he scored 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists for a rating of 22, including a decisive three-pointer in the last minute. Two other newcomers, Lyles and Okeke, have averaged more than 20 in the last two games.