Chus Mateo: “We're going to try to produce a solid performance and get a win against Efes”

Chus Mateo and Tavares spoke ahead of the Anadolu Efes-Real Madrid clash, on matchday 25 of the EuroLeague (Tuesday, 6.30 pm CET). The coach discussed the game in Istanbul: “There are increasingly fewer games left and winning or losing places you at the top or at the bottom because there is so much parity. We have to compete until the end. Anadolu Efes are a team that are close to us and we're going to try to produce a solid performance and get a win on a difficult court.”

“Every year is tough when it comes to handling two very demanding competitions. When you think everything is going great, things come up that you have to manage. I try not to let my guard down and stay alert. In the EuroLeague, there's enormous competition and there's minimal difference between the third and the fourteenth. In the league as well. We have to think step by step, do our daily work and not go crazy about what might happen in the future. What's really important now is (the game against) Efes.”

The opposition
“I never take into account how a team comes into a game. We always have a chance to win, regardless of how they are doing. Certainly, the form helps you to face the game with more optimism. We're going to face two Turkish teams that certainly have different styles of play. We have options and we'll fight to win both games in Istanbul."

Tavares “We have to be more prepared than ever”
“We're going to try to get the two wins because it'd put us higher up in the standings. We know that it's difficult to play there. They'll be very motivated because of their bad run and because they're playing against Real Madrid, which is an extra motivation.”

“The team has to continue to improve in many aspects. Dominating the rebound, controlling the game and knowing when to run and when not to. All this will help us to win. We have to be more prepared than ever. Every win we can get is an important step towards being at the top.”