The Basketball Champions League Round of 16 is set, with eight teams securing direct passage after dominating the initial stage. BAXI Manresa and La Laguna Tenerife of Spain, alongside UCAM Murcia and Unicaja, also from Spain, led the charge. AEK from Greece, ERA Nymburk from the Czech Republic, FIT/one Wurzburg from Germany, and Rytas Vilnius from Lithuania round out the automatic qualifiers, their names etched in the annals of this year’s competition.
Teams finishing second and third in their respective groups now face a gauntlet: the play-in round. This high-stakes showdown determines who else will advance to the coveted Round of 16.
Several Turkish teams find themselves in this crucial play-in stage. Karşıyaka and manisa Basket will carry Turkish hopes, joined by Aliağa petkimspor. They face formidable opponents, including Promitheas Patras from Greece, Hapoel Holon from Israel, Galatasaray, Saint-Quentin from france, and NINERS Chemnitz from Germany.
The format is simple, yet brutal: a best-of-three series where home-court advantage coudl prove decisive. The first team to secure two victories punches their ticket to the next round.
Mark your calendars: Play-in Game 1 tips off January 7-8, 2025. Game 2 follows on January 14-15, with a decisive game 3, if needed, on January 21-22. The tension will be palpable.
Here’s a look at the other play-in matchups that will determine the final composition of the Round of 16:
- nanterre 92 (France) vs. Filou Ostend (Belgium)
- Telekom Baskets Bonn (Germany) vs. Pallacanestro Reggiana (Italy)
- falco-Vulcano Szombathely (Hungary) vs. Maccabi Ramat-Gan (Israel)
- Bertram Derthona Basket (Italy) vs. Peristeri (Greece)
The Road ahead: Round of 16 Groups
The stage is set. The stakes are high. Here’s how the Round of 16 groups will look, pending the outcome of the play-in round:
Group I
This group promises intense battles and tactical matchups.
- FIT/One wurzburg basket (Germany)
- AEK (Greece)
- Winner of Karşıyaka vs. Promitheas Patras (Greece)
- Winner of Bertram Derthona Basket (Italy) vs. Peristeri (Greece)
Group J
Unicaja headlines a group brimming with potential upsets.
- Unicaja (Spain)
- Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania)
- Winner of Galatasaray vs. Saint-Quentin (France)
- Winner of Manisa Basket vs. NINERS Chemnitz (Germany)
Group K
Spanish powerhouses La Laguna Tenerife and BAXI Manresa collide in this challenging group.
- La laguna Tenerife (Spain)
- BAXI Manresa (Spain)
- Winner of Aliağa Petkimspor vs. Hapoel Holon (Israel)
- Winner of Telekom Baskets Bonn (Germany) vs. Pallacanestro Reggiana (Italy)
Group L
ERA Nymburk and UCAM Murcia will look to assert their dominance early.
- ERA Nymburk (Czechia)
- UCAM Murcia (Spain)
- Winner of Nanterre 92 (France) vs. Filou Ostend (belgium)
- Winner of Falco-Vulcano Szombathely (Hungary) vs. Maccabi Ramat-Gan (Israel)
