Round 21 at a glance: January's two-round week is here

The EuroLeague fun continues

The first two-round week of 2025 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague takes flight on Tuesday, with Round 21 delivering a series of crucial clashes in the race for the playoffs. This is what we can look forward to.

Tuesday, January 14

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:00 CET)

A pair of direct rivals just outside the top 10 will attempt to boost their playoff hopes as ASVEL (9-11) hosts Partizan (9-11). The French team again showed its quality by winning at Efes last time out and the brilliance of Theo Maledon (18.6 points and 4.4 assists per night) is continuing to give freedom to veteran Nando De Colo, who has double-digit PIRs in six straight games. Partizan has blown hot and cold in recent games but has been boosted by the return of Iffe Lundberg, with the Danish guard combining 16 points with 7 boards in last week’s loss at Panathinaikos. ASVEL triumphed 79-82 when the teams met in Belgrade in December behind 21 points from Maledon, so it will look to wrap up a head-to-head advantage on Tuesday.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CET)

High-flying Olympiacos (14-6) will attempt to protect its position as league leader with a trip to inconsistent Baskonia (8-12). The hosts need to flip the script after losing three of its last four, while the Reds are aiming for a sixth straight win. Somehow stopping Sasha Vezenkov will be a priority for Baskonia after the 2022-23 MVP recorded a remarkable 45 points in last week’s rout of Bayern, but that game also showed that Olympiacos is much more than a one-man team with seven different players registering double-digit PIRs. Pablo Laso’s injury-hit team will hope to receive more inspiration from forward Nikos Rogkavopoulos, who has hit his best form of the season and recorded a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) in last week’s loss at Virtus.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. ALBA Berlin (20:30 CET)

Surging Milan (11-9) will attempt to strengthen its position in the top 10 with a visit from an ALBA (3-17), which is looking for its first win of 2025. The German team gained a rare victory when the teams last met, triumphing 105-101 in an overtime thriller behind 28 points from Gabriele Procida in Round 9. So Ettore Messina’s men will look to regain the defensive strength that has been evident in its last two games, holding Maccabi and ASVEL to just 74 and 66 points respectively. The impressive Round 20 win over Maccabi was also an offensive masterclass, delivering a season-high 107 points behind Shavon Shields making a highly promising full return to form with 18 points.

Paris Basketball vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)

In a vital showdown, faltering Paris (11-8) will be desperate to end its five-game losing streak with a visit from an Efes team (10-10) also looking to recover winning ways. Last week’s loss at Zvezda, 85-69, was another sign that opponents have worked out how to defend against Paris, which converted only 34.7% of field goals and dished just 10 assists. The inside power of Kevarrius Hayes, who had 13 points and 7 rebounds, could help to establish a physical edge against an Efes team that has lost three in a row. The Turkish team is struggling offensively with an average of just 75.7 points over those defeats and will ask Vincent Poirier (9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game) to meet the threat of Hayes.

Real Madrid vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:45 CET)

Red-hot Real (11-9) will look to keep on climbing the standings with a visit from struggling Maccabi (5-15). The Spanish team fell against Maccabi earlier this season, with the now-departed Saben Lee providing 19 points in a 79-78 thriller in October. But Real has significantly improved since then and is chasing a sixth straight win, with last week’s 64-83 triumph at Zalgiris showing that Chus Mateo’s men are finding their best at both ends of the floor. Dzanan Musa is an early MVP of the month candidate with an average of 15.2 points during his team’s winning run, and Maccabi needs Roman Sorkin to stay hot after netting at least 16 points in four of the last five games.

Wednesday, January 15

Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (19:00 CET)

After losing four in a row, Zalgiris (10-10) will target a return to winning ways against fast-improving Virtus (6-14). The Lithuanian team’s offensive struggles were highly evident in last week’s loss to Real Madrid, when only Lonnie Walker (17 points) scored in double digits, and Coach Andrea Trinchieri needs to instill more fluidity in a team that could only net 19 field goals in that game. The possible absence of Sylvain Francisco through injury is another challenge against a Virtus team that has claimed half of its wins for the season in the last four games. The Italian team will attempt to exploit Zalgiris’s frailties through the scoring power of Matt Morgan, who's averaged 12.3 points across those three victories.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:00 CET)

A major showdown is guaranteed as fifth meets fourth with in-form Zvezda (12-8) receiving a visit from Fenerbahce (12-7). Both teams are in good form, with Zvezda looking for a fifth straight win while the Turkish team has taken two in a row. Ioannis Sfairopoulos has already overcome Saras Jasikevicius this season, rolling to a 57-76 road victory in October behind a double-double from the outstanding Joel Bolomboy (18 points, 11 boards). He will be a major factor in this game after grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds in last week’s win over Paris, so Fenerbahce needs another big game from Sertac Sanli after he netted 18 points against ALBA last time out. Fener has won just one of its last four on the road, so it will need nerves of steel in an electric atmosphere.

FC Bayern Munich vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)

Two teams targeting a return to winning ways go head to head with Bayern (11-9) welcoming Monaco (13-7). Bayern coach Gordie Herbert labeled last week’s performance in the pummeling at Olympiacos as “embarrassing” and will be looking for a major reaction as his team looks to end a three-game losing streak. The long-range shooting of Andreas Obst (2.7 triples per night) will be answered by Monaco’s Matthew Strazel, who has hit multiple three-pointers in five consecutive games. But visiting Coach Vassilis Spanoulis will focus his attention on the defensive end after being frustrated by a below-par defense in last week’s 84-98 home loss to Barcelona, and this could be a physical grind between two teams determined to show more fight than in last week’s losses.

FC Barcelona vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CET)

Expect a big-time battle between historic rivals as fast-rising Barcelona (11-9) welcomes a red-hot Panathinaikos team (13-7) aiming for a sixth straight win. The reigning champs brushed aside injury problems to down Partizan last week, with excellence from the backcourt pairing of Jerian Grant (14 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists) and league-leading scorer Kendrick Nunn (25 points). Barca also delivered a strong performance to win on the road at Monaco behind a career-high 27 points from Dario Brizuela, and Blaugrana coach Joan Penarroya will be confident that his players can find the defensive answers to slow down a Green machine that has blasted at least 96 points in four of the last five games. The Round 13 meeting between the teams was a 90-89 thriller taken by Panathinaikos; expect a similarly close finale on Wednesday.