Pedro Martínez: “We need to be consistent in defensive rebounding and very solid in one-on-one defense.”

Pedro Martínez and Abalde spoke to Realmadrid TV ahead of the match against Hapoel Tel Aviv, corresponding to the third round of the EuroLeague (Thursday, 6:00 pm CEST; Movistar Plus+). Our coach said: “We are going to try to win the game and not let the dynamics we are experiencing in this competition affect us too much. There are 38 regular-season games. Obviously, we need to win, and hopefully, we will win tomorrow. But the important thing is to see where we are by game 38. The way we want to play, the players are trying… But it's not enough to just say it. We need to train more and get to know each other better.”

The game
“We need to be very consistent in defensive rebounding and solid in one-on-one defense. They have a great ability to score in situations with one or two dribbles and to take shots, which need to be well-defended because otherwise, they have high percentages.”

Abalde: “We have a big challenge against a great team”
“We are motivated. We have a big challenge ahead against a great team. We played against them quite a few times last year, and they are a very tough team to beat with very good players. The first two rounds of the EuroLeague did not go as we wanted. We are motivated to keep improving, keep growing, and tomorrow we have an opportunity to get a win.”

Hapoel Tel Aviv
“It will be a tough game, and we will have to work hard to win it. They will surely pose challenges that disrupt the rhythm we want to have on offense. Therefore, one of our main priorities has to be our defense. We need to be very intense and be the team we want to be at the back, controlling the rebounds. We have clear aspects to improve from the last game, such as turnovers. I think that can give us stability in our play. From there, it will be a very tough game, and we need to have the right mindset.”