Real Madrid-Unicaja: aiming for a spot in the Copa del Rey semifinals
Scariolo's men begin their journey tonight towards their 30th title (9:00 pm CEST; Dazn).
Real Madrid faces Unicaja Málaga in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, held at the Roig Arena in Valencia. Our team, the most decorated in the tournament with 29 titles, will aim to secure a spot in the semifinals for the 13th consecutive time.
Twenty-three years later, the Copa del Rey returns to Valencia. Madrid was the first team to qualify for the tournament and enters as the leader of the League, with 18 victories in 20 games. The latest victory was last Sunday, precisely against Unicaja at the Martín Carpena.
Madrid has regained all its players following the returns of Maledon and Deck. The team arrives with full confidence after two away victories in challenging arenas (Partizan and Unicaja). Our team ended a 5-game winning streak in the League for the Andalusian side, which also lost last week in the Basketball Champions League against Germany's Würzburg.
Two precedents in quarterfinals
The quartet of Perry, Cobbs, Duarte, and Balcerowski has been the offensive reference for a high-scoring opponent, averaging nearly 90 points per game and utilizing their pivots' versatility to open the court effectively. Madrid will need to deliver their best defensive performance and maintain solidity for the full 40 minutes. This will be the third time we face Unicaja in the quarterfinals of the Copa and the seventh time overall in this competition. Madrid advanced on the two previous occasions the teams met in this initial round: 89-84 in the 2017-18 season and 70-73 in the 2000-01 season. Heading for the semifinals.
Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.