Since its arrival in the Euroleague in 2021, Monaco has beaten all the current residents of the event in the regular season, except two: Partizan Belgrade and FC Barcelona. For the last of the first leg, the French champion hopes to finally overcome the Spanish champion, whom he had nevertheless deprived of the podium at the Final Four last May in Kaunas (Lithuania) during the match of the beaten semi-finals. finals (78-66) for a match without any real stakes. The occasion is great this Friday evening in a room expected to be full because if Roger Grimau’s new Barça started the season with a bang and was in second place before the 16th day, it is marking time in December.
While captain Alex Abrines remains uncertain, the teammates of Argentine shooter Nicolas Laprovittola remain on six defeats in their last nine outings, counting the Spanish Liga where they have already conceded six losses in sixteen games. On Wednesday, they even took a slap in Malaga (91-71).
Before Thursday’s matches, they shared fourth place, which will give home advantage in the quarters, with six other teams. And the schedule leaves no respite since they will continue on Tuesday January 2 in Belgrade against Maccabi Tel Aviv, exiled in Serbia and behind closed doors due to events in the Middle East, then on Thursday January 4 against Olympiakos , in Piraeus, another of its rivals, who had crushed their dreams of the final last season in the semi-final (76-62). Jordan Loyd (back) is still absent, captain Yabuka Ouattara, who withdrew (ill) on Tuesday during the success at Levallois (85-77), is back on deck.
