Real Madrid-Valencia Basket: gunning for a place in the Copa del Rey final
Chus Mateo's side look to qualify for their tenth final in the last eleven years (6:00pm CET).
Real Madrid faces Valencia Basket this evening in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey Malaga 2024. Our team will try to reach its tenth final in the last 11 years, in a tie that has been repeated twice, in 2011 and 2019, both with a Madrid victory. This season the record against Valencia is 3-0 in favour of Chus Mateo's side.
Madrid need two wins to lift their second title of the season after the Spanish Super Cup. Having overcome UCAM Murcia in the quarter-finals, this afternoon we face another very difficult opponent, who also know what it is to win this tournament (champions in 1998). Their last appearance in a final was seven years ago, so they will have extra motivation. We are undefeated in previous Cups with five wins (2 in the semi-finals, 2 in the quarter-finals and 1 in the final). As Chus Mateo said in the preview, "it will be a final within a semi-final", with the reward of being in tomorrow's title game.
Valencia Basket, who are seventh in LaLiga and ninth in the Euroleague, come into the game after beating Gran Canaria in overtime (81-89). We will face a very physical opponent, with a great defence and that stands out for being a compact group. Jones and Davies are their main points of reference. Madrid will try to make their strength as a team and their greater rotation count, as they did in the quarter-finals with Campazzo's outstanding performance in the final stretch. Deck, Hezonja, Poirier and Llull, who is already the tournament's all-time leading three-pointer (66), were also important throughout the 40 minutes.
Unbeaten this season against Valencia Basket
Real Madrid come into this game as leaders of LaLiga and Euroleague. This season, Chus Mateo's men have won all three games played against Valencia: two in the Euroleague (73-76 and 96-86) and one in LaLiga (83-74). We are facing our eleventh consecutive semi-final. In 10 of them we have reached the final and in five we have been proclaimed champions. Today we are looking to reach yet another final in Malaga.