Real Madrid-Panathinaikos: looking to match our best ever EuroLeague Regular Season

The leaders are unbeaten at the WiZink Center as they seek their 23rd win in the competition (8:45pm CET).

Real Madrid-Panathinaikos: looking to match our best ever EuroLeague Regular Season
PREVIEW.Edu Bueno

The EuroLeague returns to the WiZink Center 28 days after the win over ASVEL. Real Madrid come home as Copa del Rey champions, having lifted the trophy in Malaga on Sunday the 18th, and are set to share the title celebrations with the fans. Our boys are one win away from matching their best ever Regular Season in the competition, the 23 victories they totalled in 2016/17 and 2022/23. They could also equal their second best home start (14 wins in 2013/14). With eight games to go until the end of this round, the leaders could mathematically clinch a playoff place. Up the other end, a Panathinaikos team that has grown into the campaign and now sit in third place.
It's a big European match-up at the WiZink Center in what is a true EuroLeague classic of recent years, especially with the two teams sitting at the top of the pile. Real Madrid are the undisputed leaders (22-4) while Panathinaikos are in third (16-10). Win, and we'll book our place in the next round tonight should Fenerbahçe lose (they play Baskonia on Friday). Olympiacos lie on the edge of the playoff places right now despite us beating them in both games so far. We're not far from securing home-court advantage either, sitting six wins ahead of Monaco in fourth.
Madrid's competition-best offense (89 points per game) is in for a tough test against one of the toughest defenses. Panathinaikos concede an average of 77.4 points and top the recovery statistics. Our boys will have to make the most of their strength as a unit, where they average a PIR of 108.3 with seven players in double digits. Morale is also sky high after they got their hands on a 29th Copa del Rey thanks to a fine win over Barcelona in the final. PoirierCampazzo and Yabusele are all enjoying some spectacular form. Panathinaikos have weapons of their own though, in the form of point-scoring machine Nunn, the recently-recovered Sloukas and a deep, well-stocked squad including Vildoza, Grant, Grigonis, Juancho Hernángonez, Mitoglou and Lessort, among others.
All eyes on the record
Real Madrid are within touching distance of the best ever Regular Season for a EuroLeague team. With 22 wins in 26 games, they are just two away from the record under the current format: the 24 victories picked up by Olympiacos last season and Barcelona and CSKA in 2020/21. Our team is unbeaten at home, winning all 13 games so far, and they have only four more games at the WiZink Center to achieve a full house (Panathinaikos, Fenerbahçe, KK Crvena zvezda

Baskonia). In the first half of the season, we won 78-90 in Athens as Hezonja (23 PIR) and Tavares (22) led from the front. We have also won the last 12 in a row against the Greeks at home, dating back to 2015. Ahead of the game, the team will share their 29th Copa del Rey with the fans, while Musa will present his EuroLeague MVP award for January.