Real Madrid-Partizan: Hosts vying for another win at the Palacio
Scariolo's team face the first of three games in five days and will be looking to extend their unbeaten home record in the EuroLeague (8.45 pm CEST).
Real Madrid begin a gruelling week this evening at the Movistar Arena, with three games between now and Sunday: Partizan (today), Crvena Zvezda (Friday) and San Pablo Burgos (Sunday). In other words, one every day and a half. The Whites host Obradovic's side as they aim to secure their third EuroLeague victory and remain unbeaten at home.
Both teams go into matchday four with the same record and the same trajectory (2-1). After losing their first match, both have now won two consecutive games on their home courts. Madrid defeated Olympiacos and Asvel, while Partizan overcame Olimpia and Anadolu Efes. Before the start of the day's action, Scariolo's team were in third place on points difference, while the Serbs were in 10th place among the teams with a positive record.
Another stern test for the Madridista defence
Real Madrid boast the best defence in the league, holding their opponents to an average of 74.3 points. This is mainly down to the depth of their squad, where constant rotations ensure a high level of performance throughout the game. Today, they will be up against one of the most physical opponents in Europe and a team that features many big scorers such as Sterling Brown, Tyrique Jones, Bonga and former ACB players Osetkowski and Parker. Milton and Nakic are out. They are also outstanding on the offensive rebound.
Partizan's defence is one of its weakest areas (84.7 points conceded). Madrid outperform their opponents in terms of scoring in every game they play, and all their players are capable of scoring. Okeke (17 points without a miss) in the victory against Asvel and Lyles (24 points and a PIR of 30) against Baskonia last Sunday are examples of Real Madrid's robustness, with Hezonja leading the EuroLeague scoring charts (14.3 points).
History favours Madrid
Previous results clearly work in Real Madrid's favour. Of the 27 times the two sides have met since 2000, the Whites have emerged victorious on 22 occasions. This has been even more notable in the last two years since the now-famous 2023 playoff, where the Madridistas staged a historic comeback to clinch La Undécima. They have won seven consecutive matches and will be hoping to continue their winning streak.