EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Real Madrid: all eyes on a fourth EuroLeague win
Chus Mateo's boys face a tough away trip in Round 8 (8:30pm CEST).
Real Madrid make the trip to face EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in EuroLeague Round 8. Our team will be hoping to take their fourth victory in the competition so far, at a court where they have enjoyed two wins in their last three visits. Following the Milan clash, our team have five successive games at the WiZink Center.
The madridistas have won one more than the Italian outfit so far. It's set to be a hugely demanding matchup, as ever on Italian soil. Last Sunday we displayed our grit and determination with a superb win in Murcia, despite being without five key players. Today we'll have Rathan-Mayes back in the ranks after he became a father recently, added to a perimeter where Campazzo, Llull and Hezonja are carrying the offensive burden so far. The Croatian, averaging 17 points, has been top scorer in the four previous games.
Our opponents come into the clash off the back of a win over Virtus Bolonia in the all-Italian fixture, breaking a four-match losing streak. They may have started slowly, but there's no doubting the quality of their squad. Led by Mirotic, Shields and Leday, Nebo brings the muscle in the paint and Bolmaro, Dimitrijevic and former madridista Causeur (third-highest foreign appearance-maker for our club) are a threat on the outside. Both teams boast vast offensive resources. Real Madrid average 83.7 points per game to Milan's 82. We sit second in the competition for two-point field goals with a 61.7% success rate. Messina's team average 47.4%, while their greatest threats lie in three-pointers (40.9%) and the offensive rebound.
Focus on defense
A weak point this season lies in defense, where they concede an average of 87.9 points. Coincidentally, the madridistas have made huge strides in regard, restricting UCAM Murcia to just 64 points last time out. Following this trip, Chus Mateo's team will play five home games in 11 days: Dreamland Gran Canaria (Sunday 10), Virtus Bolonia (Tuesday 12), Anadolu Efes (Thursday 14), Hiopos Lleida (Sunday 17) and Alba Berlin (Thursday 21).