Chus Mateo: "We want to keep top spot with a win at a difficult place to go"
"We have to read their defense, avoid any turnovers and manage one-on-one situations well," said the coach against the Hiopos Lleida.
Chus Mateo spoke to Realmadrid TV on the eve of the matchday 20 matchup in the league, which sees our team visit Hiopos Lleida (12:30pm CET): "We head into it well aware of how tough it is to play away from home in this League. Especially at the Barris Nord, which is a place where they really get behind their team, and we're coming off the back of a EuroLeague double-header. We've got another trip and we're away from home again, two games with real physical effort. We know we have to read their defense, avoid turnovers, rebound well and manage one-on-one situations well."
The opponent
"It's a game against opposition who really step it up at home. They've played really well all year, but at home they're right up there in turnovers, shooting percentages and offensive rebounds, which gives them a higher number of possessions. We have to be cautious and look after the ball, because many teams have struggled to play against the pressure that comes with their home court."
Building positivity ahead of the Copa del Rey
"It would be fantastic if we could keep top spot with a win at what is a very difficult place to go. Experience tells me that we have to go into the Copa with a positive dynamic, but in the end none of that plays a crucial role. The key thing is to find our way once we get there, once we ease into the game. All we're thinking about is Lleida, then we'll look at Manresa, who will demand the very best we have to offer."