Euroleague: Undefeated at Risk in Round 4

After three rounds, the Euroleague has drawn a clear map of contrasts. Four teams maintain their perfect record: Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce, Valencia Basket, and Partizan. At the opposite end, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Real Madrid have yet to win, with the Madrid team facing a historic situation: they have never started a European campaign with three consecutive losses.

The clash of the unbeaten in Athens

The most notable match outside Spain pits Panathinaikos against Fenerbahce at the OAKA in Athens. Both arrive with perfect records, and the winner will stand alone at the top of the rankings. The Greek team returns in good form after their defensive show against Maccabi Tel Aviv (90-67) and has recovered Nigel Hayes-Davis after a month out. Fenerbahce, for its part, has also won all three of its games, although the last required all of its composure: Dubai Basketball tied at 61 in the final quarter before the Turks closed with a 15-5 run led by Marcus Bingham Jr., who contributed 20 points and 8 rebounds. In its visit to OAKA, Fenerbahce faces its first real test away from home.

Real Madrid against Partizan: the night of truth

The match of the round brings together Real Madrid, in its worst European moment, with Partizan coached by Joan Peñarroya, one of the best starts in the competition. The Madrilenians arrive with a 0-3 that reflects a pattern of close losses: they fell by one point against Dubai Basketball (77-78), by ten against Anadolu Efes (84-94), and in Sofia, after rallying 22 points against Hapoel Tel Aviv, they crumbled in the final quarter (102-98). Theo Maledon scored 26 points and Walter Tavares recorded a double-double (14 and 13) in that last defeat, but it was not enough.

Partizan, on the other hand, has quickly found its rhythm. It won clearly against Olimpia Milano (92-76) and then accumulated two away victories: in Paris (79-92) and in Munich (84-86), with Carlik Jones as the playmaker (20 points and 10 assists against Milano). For Real Madrid, this fourth round is much more than just an ordinary game: it is the opportunity to prove that the 0-3 was an initial stumble and not a reflection of a team still searching for its playing identity. In Liga Endesa, Pedro Martínez's team is 2-0, although it needed overtime to defeat Monbus Obradoiro (107-114).

Valencia Basket in search of 4-0

Valencia Basket is the only unbeaten Spanish team and plays at the Fonteta against Hapoel Tel Aviv, an uncomfortable rival that has already demonstrated its capability by defeating Real Madrid in Sofia (102-98). The oranges come in with good feelings after overcoming an 18-point deficit in Lyon against ASVEL (92-105), with Nikola Mirotic contributing 22 points on a high-level night. Hapoel Tel Aviv presents Elijah Bryant (22 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Vasilije Micic (22 points) in excellent form, a team that runs, masters one-on-one situations, and punishes defensive lapses. If Valencia wins, they will reach a 4-0, putting them in a privileged position in a week when some of the unbeatens may fall.

Details of the round: French derby and reaction options

Wednesday opens with the French derby between Paris Basketball and ASVEL Villeurbanne, both with a 1-2 record. Paris Basketball got its first win in round 3 against Zalgiris (82-78), with Nadir Hifi deciding the finish: 21 points and the basket that broke the 69 tie. ASVEL, on the other hand, is going in the opposite direction: they won in their debut but have conceded more than a hundred points in each of their two losses, the last one against Valencia’s comeback. The defense is their main problem.

Thursday features the most relevant matches. In addition to Valencia Basket and Real Madrid, there is a duel between Bayern Munich and Virtus Bologna, both with 1-2 but on opposite trajectories. Bayern lost at home by two points to Partizan (84-86) in a game they were controlling, while Virtus Bologna is enjoying its best moment: Marcus Carr hit the buzzer-beater three to defeat Olympiacos (96-94) with 22 points, 10 assists, and 5 of 8 from three-point range. Maccabi Tel Aviv, at 0-3 and with the worst points differential, hosts Olimpia Milano (1-2), a game that neither can afford to lose after conceding 109 points to Besiktas and scoring just 24 by halftime in Athens with 0 of 10 from three.

Friday closes with interesting matches. Xavi Pascual's Dubai Basketball, a surprise team after defeating Real Madrid and Barça before falling in Istanbul, hosts Crvena Zvezda, which got its first win in round 3 against Anadolu Efes (77-72) with Ibon Navarro's first victory in Europe. Olympiacos, the defending champion, seeks to react after losing in Bologna at the buzzer despite 23 points from Mbaye Ndiaye in just twenty minutes, against Anadolu Efes, who faces its first game without Mike James, who underwent Achilles tendon surgery and is out for seven to nine months.

Kosner Baskonia hosts Besiktas in a duel between teams with 1-2 records. The Basques arrive at their best moment of the season after defeating Olimpia Milano (86-76) and crushing FIATC Girona (118-78), while Besiktas, which scored 109 points against Maccabi Tel Aviv, was left at 7 of 31 from three against Barça. Finally, Barça closes the round at the Palau with a 2-1 record after winning in Istanbul against Besiktas (82-95) with 16 points from Kevin Punter. Sekulic's team integrates eleven new faces and in Liga Endesa has a 1-1 record. Zalgiris Kaunas, also 1-2, lost in Paris in a game tied in the final quarter where Carsen Edwards missed crucial possessions.

Two key narratives to understand the round

Two main narratives run through the entire round. The first is that the perfect records will not last for everyone: Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce face each other, Partizan visits Real Madrid, and Valencia Basket hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv. By Friday night, there may be only one or two unbeaten teams in the entire competition. The second is that all four Spanish teams play at home for the first time in the same round. For Real Madrid, it’s an opportunity to erase the zero; for Kosner Baskonia and Barça, it’s a chance to get closer to the top spots; and for Valencia Basket, it’s the chance to confirm their Spanish leadership in a decisive week.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Euroliga: invictos en riesgo en la jornada 4