EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Real Madrid: Whites on record-equalling mission

The EuroLeague leaders face a stern test on the road with the start of the Copa del Rey just one week away, which will be played in Malaga. Real Madrid visit the Mediolanum Forum to take on EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in round 26 of the competition. The Whites will be vying to equal their record number of wins, both overall in a regular season and on the road, and to seal their place in the playoffs. Llull and Tavares are in the squad for the clash.

Following three straight games at the WiZink Center, Real Madrid are back on the road in the EuroLeague for the first time since 19 January in Monaco. The Whites sit firmly at the top of the standings and are on a run of three consecutive victories. With nine games to go until the end of the Regular Season, Madrid are eight wins ahead of seventh-placed Olympiacos, the team that is currently on the fringes of the playoffs. One more win and a defeat for the Greeks would seal the Spaniards' passage to the playoffs.

Key points
Madrid's opponents are in 13th place. They may have lost four of their last five games, but they welcomed back Mirotic and possess the physicality of a team with other top players in Napier, Shields, Melli and Voigtmann. It will be a stern test for the best offence in the competition. Real Madrid average almost 90 points per game and the Italians concede an average of 76.7. Musa, who was named MVP for January, has put on some dazzling displays against the Italians. Last season he was named MVP in the two games against Emporio Armani Milan (34.5 in PIR). Another crucial mainstay has been Poirier. Since the absence of Tavares, the Frenchman has stepped up his performances: 18.2 PIR in the EuroLeague and 24 in the Liga Endesa.

New records on the horizon
Real Madrid have racked up 22 wins in 25 games. An incredible record and one that could mean they can smash all possible records for victories in a Regular Season. Should they win, they will equal two of their records: the most wins (the 23 achieved in the 2016/17 and 2022/23 campaigns) and the most away victories (the 10 in 2020/21 and 2022/23). The team would also move to within one win of the top single team in the current format, which is the 24 by Olympiacos in the previous season and Barça and CSKA in 2020/21. In the first meeting between the teams, Madrid won by 17 points at the WiZink Center (88-71) and have emerged victorious from their past two visits to Milan.