After reaching the quarter-finals early in the Champions League, everyone at Alba Berlin was happy. “We are super super proud. After the weeks we have had, it was a game that is really difficult to win. That is not a given,” said captain Jonas Mattisseck after the 69:60 home win on Tuesday evening against Turkish representatives Tofas Bursa. The fourth game in just nine days.
Although there are still two group games left, Alba can no longer be pushed out of second place. For sports director Himar Ojeda, it was also a great performance mentally. “Especially with the burden on your shoulders because you are the team that comes from the Euroleague. But we don’t have a squad like that anymore,” he said. In addition, the small squad is at its limit given the tight schedule. “Everyone has squeezed out the last bit of energy. Tomorrow we’ll all be in bed and not moving,” said Mattisseck.
Alba can still win the group
Once again, Alba turned the game around against Bursa in the second half after a weak start – like so often this season. “The team shows character, belief, self-confidence and cohesion. That’s good to see and that mentality is perhaps more valuable than leading a game from the start,” said Ojeda. Alba has won eight of the last nine games.
In the Champions League the remaining games are against the Greek teams AEK Athens and Karditsa Iaponiki and the group win is up for grabs. That would give home advantage in the best-of-three series in the quarterfinals in the possible playoff. However, Alba would have to win both games and win the direct comparison with league leaders AEK. The first leg in Athens was lost 80:88. “It will be difficult. Because AEK is the favorite, they have the experience. But we will try,” said Ojeda.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:260211-930-671022/1
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