Valencia Basket-Real Madrid: aiming for a spot in the EuroLeague final
Our team, which has won 7 out of the 10 semifinals it has played, will seek its fourth appearance in the title game in the last five seasons (8:00 pm; Movistar Plus+).
Real Madrid begins its participation in the Athens Final Four this evening with the EuroLeague semifinal matchup against Valencia Basket at the Telekom Center. A clash between the most decorated team in the competition (11 titles) and a Valencia side that has qualified for the Final Four for the first time in its history. Our team will play its eleventh semifinal under this format. In seven of them, including the last three consecutive ones in 2022, 2023, and 2024, they have secured a spot in the final.
This will be the first time both teams meet in a EuroLeague semifinal since their initial matchup in the 2010/11 season. A rivalry that will see its seventh chapter this season, with a favorable record for Scariolo's side at 4-2. In the EuroLeague Regular Season, each team won their home game—Valencia Basket by 89-76 and Real Madrid by 96-79. Additionally, Madrid secured two wins in the domestic league and one in the Copa del Rey semifinals, while Valencia Basket claimed one victory in the Supercopa.
These are two teams that know each other very well, so the small details will decide the game. Scariolo's side will need to step up in the paint given the significant absences of Tavares and Len. More than ever, they will need to lean on unity and the experience of players like Campazzo, Hezonja, or captain Sergio Llull, who is playing in his 12th Final Four, matching Sloukas and Khryapa at the top.
Perfect record in an all-Spanish semifinal
Valencia comes into the matchup after a comeback victory in the quarterfinals against Panathinaikos. They are a very dangerous team, full of confidence, and led by Montero, who was named the playoffs MVP. For Real Madrid, it’s not new to face a Spanish team in the round before the final. In the four previous instances, all against Barcelona, they have emerged victorious (2013, 2014, 2022, and 2023). This evening, they aim for a spot in the EuroLeague final.