Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade is back for its fourth consecutive season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. There will be plenty of things for Zvezda fans to discover in 2022-23, with newly appointed head coach Vladimir Jovanovic leading a different-looking team that will have its sights set on the playoffs. Here are some of the key games that Zvezda supporters can look forward to in the season ahead.
2022-23 Games to Watch: Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
Round 2: Coach Radonjic back in town
A visit from Panathinaikos OPAP Athens will be a special occasion for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it marks the return of the most successful coach in Zvezda's history, Dejan Radonjic, who left the club this summer to take charge of the Greens. And secondly, guard Nemanja Nedovic moved the other way from Panathinaikos to Zvezda, so he will be keen to put on a show against his former team. Zvezda has had the upper hand over Panathinaikos, having won six of their last seven meetings in Belgrade, and it will do its best to continue that trend against Radonjic's new team.
Round 4: A trip to the Spanish capital
There are not many teams on the continent that can say that they have beaten Real Madrid in two of their last three games in Madrid, but that's exactly what Zvezda has done. Even last season, when Zvezda arrived in the Spanish capital severely depleted, it put up a great fight. Wizink Center is also the place where Zvezda set its club record of 17 made three-point shots five years ago, with Ognjen Dobric knocking down two of those and Branko Lazic making one. It will be interesting to see what kind of performance Zvezda can display in Madrid this season.
Round 10: Continuing the streak
The rivalry between Zvezda and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv started back in the early 1970s, but these days, it is Zvezda who has the bragging rights, having beaten Maccabi six straight times on home floor, including four victories by double digits. That is Zvezda's longest winning streak against any EuroLeague team, and Coach Jovanovic's team will do its all to please its fans and make it seven in a row. This is also the start of Zvezda's run of four home games in five rounds, so it will be important to get the stretch off to a positive start.
Round 16: Fan favorites return
Every year when the calendar comes out, one of the first things that every Zvezda fan checks is when Barcelona is coming to town. Zvezda loves to play with an underdog mentality, yet it has lost seven straight games against Barcelona heading into this season and would love to finally bring an end to that streak. It is also an occasion for Zvezda fans to give Nikola Mirotic his annual ovation, but this time they will also do one for Zvezda's best player from last season and a fan favorite, Nikola Kalinic, who will be playing for Barcelona this season.
Round 21: Hosting the Serbian derby
One of the fiercest rivalries in the world of sports will take place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time this season, as Crvena Zvezda plays host to Partizan NIS Belgrade in Round 21. These two teams will know just about everything about each other, especially at this point of the season. In front of a packed arena, and with plenty of support from its fans, it will not only be a must-win situation for Zvezda, but a victory would a big confidence booster, too.