Barça, eager for revenge, threatens Real Madrid in the Final Four in Kaunas

2023-05-19 00:08:04

Barça, eager for revenge for the defeat suffered last year against Real Madrid in the Euroleague semifinals, and also in the final of the Spanish Super Cup that was decided in extra time in September, threatens the king of the highest competition continental in the Final Four in Kaunas. In the hometown of the Barcelona coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius, starting this Friday the great continental title is at stake, with Olympiacos, who will face Monaco, as the great favourites, although thanks to the classic between the blaugranas and the whites, the Spanish basketball has secured its presence in the final game for the third consecutive season.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will reissue this Friday in the Lithuanian capital the duel prior to the grand final, to which on this occasion the culés will present themselves one step above their eternal rival. The ten-time European champion and current runner-up appears in the most transcendental event of the season diminished by very important absences, although the whites have arrived in the Lithuanian capital relaunched in spirit, after their memorable and unprecedented feat against Partizan after coming back from 0 -2 in the quarterfinals, and up to 18 points in the fifth game of their series.

Barça, however, put an end to Zalgiris on the fast track (3-0), to earn a ticket to a Final Four, which they attend at a great moment and with the only casualty being Cory Higgins, to fight for the one they It would be the third European Cup in its history. It will be the third consecutive attempt for the Catalans, with Jasikevicius on the bench, in a Final Four, after losing the decisive match in 2021 against Anadolu Efes and falling in 2022 in a semifinal in which Guerschon Yabusele was, along with Fabian Causeur , the top scorer for his team and made Nikola Mirotic’s 26 points useless.

This time, Real Madrid has remained to aspire to the title without the enormous physical power of Yabusele as a result of his brutal aggression during the pitched battle of WiZink against Partizan, and also without the injured Gabi Deck and Vincent Poirier, with which A priori, Barca’s superiority in the inside game is evident. Chus Mateo’s team has the best defender in the Euroleague, Edy Tavares, but Barça has recovered Jan Vesely at the last minute, another weapon available to Sarunas Jasikevicius to try to nullify the Cape Verdean giant.

mirotic again

Although Chus Mateo proclaims that once in the Final Four “there is no turning back, no injuries, no statistics or favourites”, the casualties will completely condition Real Madrid, which, faithful to its irreducible character and winning spirit, appeals to the « illusion» and the experience of veterans such as Sergio Rodríguez, Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernández.

«We will try to supply them as we can and redo those casualties. It is part of the game to make up for absences, but it is true that they occupy the same position as Mirotic and it is not easy to defend him even with them”, acknowledges the Real Madrid coach, before whom the Hispanic Montenegrin power forward who finished is always especially motivated. so frustrated, speechless, after last year’s semi-final in Belgrade.

On Sunday, one of the two giants of Spanish basketball expects to face the leader of the regular phase of the Euroleague, Olympiacos. The Greek team, European champion for the last time in 2013, will meet an unexpected rival in the first semifinal, Mike James’s Monaco, Maccabi’s executioner in the quarterfinals who will play in a Final Four for the first time.