Panathinaikos-Real Madrid: visitors looking to emerge victorious from Athens
Chus Mateo's men are looking for a win this evening that will push them up the standings (8.45 pm CET).
It's matchday 28 of the EuroLeague, with seven games to go until the end of the Regular Season. After their victory in last week's Clasico, Real Madrid face another stern test this evening with a visit to reigning champions Panathinaikos. The Whites, who have emerged victorious from their last two visits to the Greek court, will be looking to continue their winning run to climb up the standings.
In a EuroLeague campaign where the difference between 4th and 13th is just three wins, every game will be decisive for a place in the top ten. Real Madrid have the chance to take another step forward. The Madridistas go into the clash on the back of the Clásico win and boosting their confidence following the victory in the Liga ACB in Gran Canaria, where they put in their best defensive display of the year with 54 points conceded. Panathinaikos sit third, with three more wins, and are on a run of three straight victories. In the first meeting at the Movistar Arena, the Madridistas won 90-86 with 29 in PIR from Campazzo.
Chus Mateo’s charges will need to perform at their best this evening against a high-scoring side, whose main threat is their outside shooting (39.1% three-pointers). Nunn is their offensive focal point (20.7 points), but they have other talented attacking players such as Sloukas, Osman, Juancho Hernángomez and Grant. In defence, they concede almost 84 points on average. Madrid boast superiority in the paint and will have to assert this with Tavares and Bruno Fernando. Pleiss has been brought in to make up for the loss of Lessort and Yurtseven for the Athenians.
The final straight
After today's clash, Real Madrid will have six games left: three at home (Asvel, Milan and Paris Basketball) and three away (Virtus Bologna, Red Star and Partizan). Four of those six teams are direct rivals in the battle for the playoffs. Before that, the OAKA Arena will be the venue where the Madridistas have won their last two games (68-71 and 78-90).