Barça travels to Athens without Punter or Evbuomwan

The Barça faces one of the major challenges of the season in the EuroLeague. This Friday, November 13, at 20:15 (local time), the blaugrana team will travel to Athens to meet the Panathinaikos at the Telekom Center Athens (OAKA) in round 11 of the continental competition. The match will be broadcasted on Movistar Plus+ and the M+ Basketball channel, platforms that air the EuroLeague in Spain.

A complicated trip due to injuries

The Catalan team arrives in Greece with significant absences in their roster. The club confirmed on Monday that Kevin Punter, the team's top scorer, will be out for approximately six weeks due to a left ankle syndesmosis sprain suffered in the match against Río Breogán. Along with him, Tosan Evbuomwan will also miss the trip after sustaining a muscle tear in his oblique that will keep him sidelined for about three weeks.

The absences are not limited to these two players. Juan Núñez is also not part of the traveling party as he has not recovered from his ankle sprain, and Yoan Makoundou is also missing. To complete the roster, Aleksander Sekulic has included young pivot Abdu Koné from the reserve team. Despite this challenging situation, there is good news: point guard Umoja Gibson has returned after recovering from the knee contusion he suffered in the EuroLeague match against Bayern.

Defense as the main weapon

In light of Kevin Punter's absence, the Slovenian coach has made his strategy for the game in Athens clear. “In the absence of KP, our best scorer, we need to base our game on defense,” Sekulic explained on Thursday, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. The coach is aware that his team must compensate for the lack of offensive power with impeccable defensive work.

Regarding the opponent waiting for them at the OAKA, Sekulic was direct in his analysis: “We will see how we are capable of competing against what is, today, the best team in Europe and has what is probably the best coach in Europe.” The coach was referring to Zeljko Obradovic and his team, which leads the standings with eight wins and two losses.

The moment of Barça in the EuroLeague

The Barça arrives at this match in good competitive form. The blaugrana team has four consecutive victories in the EuroLeague, the most recent being a 90-93 victory on the court of Hapoel in round 10. Away from home, the Catalan team has shown solidity, winning four of their five matches played as visitors. Their away victories have come against Besiktas, Olimpia Milano, Bayern, and Hapoel, while their only defeat on the road was in Dubai by 94-87.

Expanding the focus to the Liga Endesa, Sekulic's team has a streak of seven consecutive victories. The latest was against Río Breogán by 99-91 last Sunday, the same match in which Punter and Evbuomwan were injured, impacting their trip to Athens. With a record of 7-3 in the EuroLeague, the Barça seeks to maintain its winning streak against a highly challenging opponent.

Obradovic's Panathinaikos, a formidable rival

The Greek team led by Zeljko Obradovic is currently setting the pace in the EuroLeague. With eight wins and two losses, the Panathinaikos tops the standings and boasts an impressive home record. At OAKA, they have achieved five victories in six matches, with Hapoel being the only team to have managed to defeat the Athenian side away, with a score of 81-91.

The offensive power of the Panathinaikos is reflected in their recent performance. In round 10 of the EuroLeague, Obradovic's team defeated Real Madrid at the Movistar Arena with a score of 112-115, demonstrating their ability to compete in any setting. The Greek roster features world-class players such as Sylvain Francisco, Kendrick Nunn, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Guerschon Yabusele, and Mathias Lessort. According to Eurohoops data cited by Sport, this quintet earns approximately 20 million euros net per season.

The Panathinaikos roster also includes the Spanish player Juancho Hernangómez, who adds to a lineup of experienced and high-quality players. The Athenian team undoubtedly represents one of the biggest challenges the Barça faces this season in the continental competition.

Next match: Obradoiro at the Palau

After the trip to Athens, the Barça will have little time to recover. The blaugrana team will host Monbus Obradoiro on Sunday, November 15, at 17:00 at the Palau, in round 8 of the Liga Endesa. The match will be broadcasted on DAZN, allowing fans to follow the team's return to domestic competition live.

This tight schedule requires the Barça to manage its resources and energy properly. With the absences of Punter and Evbuomwan, Sekulic will need to make smart rotations to arrive in optimal condition for both commitments. The trip to Athens represents a crucial test to measure the competitive level of the blaugrana team in the EuroLeague, while the subsequent match against Obradoiro will serve to maintain the pace in the Liga Endesa.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Barça viaja a Atenas sin Punter ni Evbuomwan