Guy Geva
Hapoel Tel Aviv players celebrate (Shahar Gros)
The Israeli representative in the Eurocup, Hapoel Tel Aviv, placed 4th in Group B in the factory, will meet the London Lions tonight (Wednesday) at 21:30 at Wembley Arena, after beating them in the previous round 59:76 at Shlomo Group Hall.
The Reds, who will open the second round, expect to maintain and even improve their position in the second house table for the rest of the campaign. The team is very much looking forward to the match due to the large crowd that came from Israel, about 1,500 fans. All the tickets for the Reds’ game have been sold and the 12,500 seater London venue will be completely full.
Reds coach, Danny Franco, spoke before the match and referred to the opponent: “We are happy to return to the Eurocup after the Christmas break. The London Lions are a quality team that has come a long way since our season opener against them. The pace of play dictated by the English is expected to be high, and defensively we will have to excel against a size we are not used to.”
The coach also complimented the fans: “The large number of fans who will come to support us will give a great atmosphere, but we will have to focus on our work on the field. The Eurocup requires maximum vigilance and precision from us in order to be in a winning position.”
Captain Hapoel Tel Aviv, Tomer Ginat, shared his feelings for the meeting: “We are opening the second round in an important away game, a victory in which will help us a lot to gain a home advantage in the round of 16. I admit that I did not expect such a large number of fans to accompany us, it is exciting every time. We will do everything to repay them for their support and love.”
