Newsletter

Two match balls to secure Belgrade’s final four

BarcelonaBarça will have two chances to beat Bayern Munich and play final four from Belgrade, where Real Madrid is already waiting as a semi-finalist. The first match ball will arrive this Friday (8.45pm, DAZN) at the Audi Dome, where the Barça team has already won twice this season. Sarunas Jasikevicius does not rely on it. “We have never won a qualifier away with this team, we always need to win it in the fifth game at the Palau Blaugrana. Unfortunately, this team always relaxes. We must be prepared to suffer and to endure the ups and downs of these players, we have no alternative, “he said.

The Euroleague runner-up is confident of the good form of Nikola Mirotic and Nico Laprovittola to overcome the defense of an always uncomfortable Bayern Munich. The Montenegrin center-back finished the third game with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 forced fouls and 3 assists with 31 assists. The player scored eight of the eleven field goals he attempted and did not miss any of the seven free throws he had. “The team made a great effort on Wednesday. The key was the start of the game, with our defense and intensity. We didn’t want to allow them to play in the same way as in Barcelona and we got it. The work is not over yet. “We know it won’t be easy, but we want to win on Friday,” said Mirotic.

The best thing is not what the Catalan star did on Wednesday but when he did, because 11 of his 25 points came in the last quarter, when Bayern Munich tried to come back. Andrea Trinchieri’s strategy of covering the spaces with defensive aids when he received on the low post did not work as well as last week at the Palau Blaugrana. In addition, the German team missed too many outside shots.

Adequate mentality

Laprovittola, on the other hand, opened the game with optimism thanks to three triples in less than five minutes. “We started the game with the mentality that brought us here. When we had to finish the game in the third quarter we fell asleep a bit, but we always had control of the game. We did a good job and we all knew what we had. to do: put your body in it, play with a great physical level and read your defense. We were right in the shots, but we have to keep fighting. “But we want to close the tie”, analyzes the Argentine player, whom Jasikevicius is using more regularly in the escort position. The lead is Nick Calathes, who played in Munich, and Rokas Jokubaitis, whom the ACB included among the top five youngsters in the Endesa League.

Saras calls for patience and rigor in attacking Bayern Munich’s defense. “If you try to solve the attack on the first or second option against them or against Zenit last year, it doesn’t work. They are able to cancel you out. The key is to get to the third or fourth option. If you can’t, you’re in trouble, “he said.



Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending