The first “tough week” of the EuroLeague season tips off, with Round 2 bringing key matchups and tough tests for Europe’s top teams right from the start.
Olympiacos faces a test in Kaunas against Zalgiris, while Real Madrid travels to Istanbul to take on Efes.
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In addition, Red Star Belgrade hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv, while other highlights include the Italian derby between Armani and Virtus and the matchup between Dubai BC and Barcelona.
Dubai vs. Barcelona (7:00 p.m.): Dubai aims to capitalize on home-court advantage against Barcelona in a special game for Toko Sengelia, who faces his former team for the first time since leaving. Both teams are coming off wins in their season openers.
Anadolu Efes vs. Real Madrid (8:00 p.m.): Efes hosts Real Madrid, which travels to Istanbul as the Super Cup champion and is looking to put its opening-night loss to Dubai behind it. Pablo Laso’s team must contain the “Queen’s” abundant offensive talent and bounce back after their loss to Barcelona.
Fenerbahçe vs. Bayern (8:45 p.m.): Sarunas Jasikevicius’s Fenerbahçe hosts Bayern, with the Bavarians facing one of the toughest challenges of the round. The Turkish champions opened the season with a win over Virtus, while the Bavarians pulled off a major upset against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Red Star Belgrade vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv (9:00 p.m.): Aiming for its first win in the competition after the shock of the opening game, Hapoel travels to Belgrade to face Red Star. Dimitris Itoudis’s team is looking to bounce back from its loss to Bayern, but it will face a squad that relies heavily on its home-court advantage.
Milan Armani vs. Virtus Bologna (9:30 p.m.): An Italian derby in Milan, with Armani seeking its first EuroLeague win after losing its season opener. Alex Moumbou’s Virtus has already faced its opponent in the Italian Super Cup and wants to show that it’s in better form than it was in that matchup. Both teams lost in the first round.
Valencia vs. Baskonia (9:30 p.m.): A Spanish showdown at the “Roig Arena,” with Valencia hosting Baskonia in a game expected to be fast-paced and high-scoring, given both teams’ playing styles. The home team wants to dictate the pace and take advantage of their home-court advantage.
Paris-Partizan (9:45 p.m.): Partizan plays its first road game of this year’s EuroLeague, traveling to Paris following its victorious season opener. Joan Peñarroya expects a different game compared to the one against Milan, as Paris plays at a very fast pace and executes its offensive plays early, looking to bounce back after a heavy loss to Panathinaikos.
*photo source: KYPE
