Hapoel Tel Aviv-Real Madrid: second EuroLeague game in 48 hours

Real Madrid faces its second EuroLeague game in less than 48 hours this evening in Sofia, following the match played on Tuesday in Istanbul. Our team takes on Hapoel Tel Aviv in a rematch of last season's playoffs, where they secured qualification for the Final Four. Today, Pedro Martínez's squad will aim to secure their first victory in the competition.

The Israeli side and Madridistas open the third round of the EuroLeague in a matchup with six prior meetings, all from last season, resulting in five wins for Madrid and one for Hapoel Tel Aviv. The last time they faced each other was on May 7th in the fourth playoff game, where Madrid clinched the series with a victory (81-87).

Pedro Martínez's team will look to remain solid in defense and more effective in attack to secure a win in Sofia. In the first two games, our team competed until the end, but their opponents managed to take the win in the closing minutes. One of the highlights against Anadolu Efes was the strong debut of Nick Smith Jr., who left a positive impression on offense (10 points).

Opponent
On the other side is another team built to contend for the Final Four. In their first season, they reached the playoffs, and this year they have strengthened their roster with players like Satoransky, Leday, and Toppin, joining Micic, Blakeney, Bryant, and Oturu. Their two games so far have been decided in the final seconds. They lost at home to Bayern Munich (84-86) and won away against Red Star Belgrade (80-81). Madrid aims to kick off October with an away victory.

Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.