Chus Mateo: "We have to be competitive for the full 40 minutes to win"
"The game against Fenerbahce is going to be very demanding and the team need to be at their best," explained Abalde.
Chus Mateo and Alberto Abalde spoke on Realmadrid TV in the run-up to Fenerbahce-Real Madrid, corresponding to Euroleague game 26 (Thursday, 6.30pm CET). The coach talked about the second game this week in Istanbul: "In the Euroleague every game is difficult and playing at Fenerbahce is never easy, but we'll try to go into it with optimism and the hope of winning."
"It's been a very tough Euroleague and it's very difficult to win away from home, but if we can manage it, we'll be better placed in the table. We know we have a tough schedule ahead of us with nine games, but there's no way we can think we don't have a chance away from home. We have to keep fighting and keep up our hopes of winning the game."
Areas for improvement
"We have to play better in the final minutes than we have done in the last two games. We have to keep a cool head, move the ball around better and work on our offence. We like to run and we've been running a little less and giving the ball away."
Key points
"Fenerbahce are playing very well, shooting really well from three-point range. They change things up on defence and you have to learn to read and play to those defensive changes without losing the ball while taking good shots, and keeping percentages high. Also, scoring free throws and being competitive enough for the full 40 minutes to be able to win."
Abalde: ‘We have to go one step further away from home’
"It's going to be a very demanding game and the team has to be at its best. We know it's a very tough week and we have to be mentally prepared because we're playing a great team."
The opposition
"They're a very consistent team. They have a lot of players and are very structured in defence. We have to build on that solid base at the back and play at pace. They are difficult to beat in static situations. It is key that we recover physically and approach the game well mentally. We have to be strong in our own game and think about ourselves."
The demands of the Euroleague
"Winning away in Europe is always difficult and this year the Euroleague is very tough. We have to go the extra mile away from home. It's taking more effort but a challenge like this is a good opportunity."