Real Madrid will play Virtus Bologna at the Movistar Arena. This is the second of three consecutive EuroLeague games at home for Real Madrid, who host Valencia Basket next Thursday. After last week’s victory against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid will aim to secure their tenth consecutive home win, hoping to remain the best home team in the competition.
Madrid’s Position in the EuroLeague
With 9 rounds remaining in the Regular League, Real Madrid is in a strong position heading into the final stretch. They are fourth, one win away from second place and two wins ahead of the tenth spot. Five of these rounds will be at home, where they have won 13 of their 14 games, including the last 9 consecutively. Today, they host a Virtus Bologna team that aims to stay in contention for the play-in, being three wins away.
Virtus Bologna are considered a dangerous opponent, having won the first-round matchup 74-68. They come into this game after defeating Barça and breaking a three-game losing streak.
Key Players and Match Dynamics
The game is expected to be physically demanding. The Italian team features athletic players like Diouf, Diarra, and Niang, a forward known for his rebounding ability. Edwards is their key offensive player, while Vildoza, Morgan, and Smailagic bring experience to the team. Madrid will need to counter them with their collective strength.
Five players are averaging double-digit efficiency ratings in this competition: Lyles 15.8; Tavares 15.3; Campazzo 14.3; Maledon 12.7; and Hezonja 11.1.
A Busy March Schedule
Today’s match will be the first of a month featuring 9 games in 24 days, meaning one every 2.6 days. Five of them will be EuroLeague games, four at home (Virtus, Valencia Basket, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Anadolu Efes) and one away (Zalgiris). Meanwhile, the League continues. The leader will have three away games (Gran Canaria, Barça, and Basket Girona) and one match at the Movistar Arena (Hiopos Lleida).
March kicks off, and today we aim for our 19th EuroLeague victory.