Real Madrid has won six games in a row against Partizan, including both regular season matchups last season and Thursday night’s contest, 93-86. 

Revamped Real continued to haunt Partizan as new arrivals stood out 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade was on the verge of sealing a sweep over Real Madrid in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, before the Spanish giant turned the quarterfinal series on its head and went on to win the continent’s premier club competition.

Since trailing 2-0 in that epic battle, Real has won six games in a row against Partizan, including both regular season matchups last term and [Thursday night’s contest, 93-86](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-sinks-partizan-93-86-as-ibaka-excels-on-home-court-debut/).

The victory was a stark contrast to the [shock 97-89 defeat at FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-munich-takes-opening-night-thriller-over-real-madrid-97-89/) in Round 1, when a fourth-quarter collapse dashed Real’s hopes of making a winning start to the season. For three quarters of the titanic tussle with Partizan, Real looked in danger of slipping up again before a 15-0 run in the fourth propelled the home team.

With some of Real’s key players moving on to pastures new during the off-season while others retired, it was up to the new arrivals to step up and they did that in no uncertain terms. Big man [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/), a former NBA stalwart who joined Real from Bayern, stood out with 15 points and 7 boards, making light of the departures of [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) and [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/).

[Xavier Rathan-Mayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/xavier-rathan-mayes/013378/) added 12 points, including a pair of clutch three-pointers, as he filled in the void left by the retirement of club legends [Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/) and [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/). Just as crucially, pack leader [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) used his passing skills to devastating effect as he dished out 11 assists, some of them in spectacular fashion when the chips were down. Ibaka pointed out that a new-look Real was under pressure to deliver after the Bayern fiasco.

“The key was hard defense and it made offense easy,” the big man said in a courtside interview. “Sometimes in can be a bit stressful when you’re still trying to find your confidence but tonight we did a good job as a team. We stuck together to come up with a W and it’s a blessing to wear this jersey.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">🤍 ¡HALA MADRID! 🤍 <a href="https://t.co/r1kSWlj3Nq">pic.twitter.com/r1kSWlj3Nq</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1844483102862868805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach Chus Mateo, who faces a challenging task to keep winning trophies with a reconstructed outfit which is still very much a work in progress, acknowledged he would need all his resources to keep going. That objective took a hit against Partizan when starting guard [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andres-feliz/011247/) was carried off the court into the locker room after appearing to twist his ankle in the first half.

“We played more as a team and with more intensity in the second half,” said Mateo. “They scored a lot of threes in the first half and we were able to contest more shots in the second. We are in two very tough competitions, the (Spanish) Liga Endesa and the EuroLeague, hence we need to use all the players in order to be alive in both competitions at the end of the season,” he added.

Campazzo was pleased with the outcome, having highlighted that the task of molding a new-look Real into a force to be reckoned with was always going to be tough. “It’s a very different team to last season and we are in the process of adapting. Today was a good step forward.”

Game News

Real earned its sixth successive win against the Serbian team, with Serge Ibaka and Xavier Rathan-Mayes among the top performers 

Real Madrid v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-10-10T18:45:00.000Z)

New season, same protagonists for Panathinaikos BC, which saw 2023-24 All-EuroLeague First Team stars Mathias Lessort and Kendrick Nunn steal the spotlight once again, this time at the new-look OAKA.

Lessort and Nunn shined again at new-look OAKA 

New season, same protagonists for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. On Thursday night, 2023-24 All-EuroLeague First Team stars [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) stole the spotlight once again, this time at the new-look OAKA. 

Playing for the first time this season on the impressive new floor of the renovated arena, the reigning champions [defeated FC Bayern Munich 94-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-crashes-bayern-94-79-for-first-home-win/), improving to 2-0 in the process.

After netting 14 points [on the road at ALBA Berlin last week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-bc-beats-alba-in-berlin-77-87/), Lessort looked dominant in the paint back on Panathinaikos’s home court. The 29-year-old center recorded a game-high 22 points, going 9 for 11 from inside the arc and 4 for 6 from the charity stripe. He also collected 6 rebounds and drew 4 fouls for a PIR of 27.

“The arena was amazing,” Lessort told EuroLeague TV after the game. “It’s the first time we’re playing in this gym. We practiced yesterday for the first time and it was a great thing.”

The man who got Panathinaikos going in the first quarter was Nunn, who scored 10 of his team’s 25 points to set the tone. Nunn finished the game with 17 points, but more importantly, he recorded a game-high 7 assists to tie his career-high mark.

Panathinaikos may have scored 94 points on Thursday night, but it was its defense that closed things out in the final quarter. Bayern responded with a late run in the third and brought itself within 66-60 in the opening stages of the fourth. Yet, Panathinaikos’s hustle on defense forced 5 Bayern turnovers, allowing the hosts to get valuable extra possessions on the other end.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BACK HOME. BACK TO THIS. BACK TO OUR RITUAL ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiveTheGreenMagic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiveTheGreenMagic</a> <a href="https://t.co/sv9LH2JqbS">pic.twitter.com/sv9LH2JqbS</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1844473501404758046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“That’s the way basketball should be played,” Lessort added. “You got to give your heart, you got to put effort on the court. We’ve got a really talented team, but talent is not enough. You don’t win all the games with talent. Sometimes the game is going to be ugly, but if you put effort all the time, the talent will be there and the result will come.”

Nunn and Lessort have combined for 69 points in the first two rounds of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season. Panathinaikos may boast an extremely talented roster, full of resources and versatility, but the aforementioned duo is expected to steal the limelight again this season. The reigning champions play away at Paris Basketball on Tuesday, with Nunn and Lessort preparing themselves for more showtime action next week.

Two of the Greens' star players came to the fore in Round 2

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v FC Bayern Munich (2024-10-10T18:15:00.000Z)

Real Madrid ground out a 93-86 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after new signing Serge Ibaka came off the bench to lead his team with 15 points and 7 rebounds. 

Real sinks Partizan, 93-86, as Ibaka excels on home court debut 

Real Madrid ground out a 93-86 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after new signing Serge Ibaka came off the bench to lead his team with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

In a smooth team performance, Dzanan Musa and Xavier Rathan-Mayes added 12 points each for Real while Mario Hezonja and Eli Ndiaye chipped in with 10 each. Facu Campazzo racked up 8 points and 11 assists for the hosts, who won the battle of the boards 34-25 and hurt Partizan with a barrage of second-chance points.

Playmaker Carlik Jones paced the visitors with 15 points, Vanja Marinkovic and Sterling Brown netted 12 each while Tyrique Jones and Frank Ntilikina added 11 apiece.

Game Videos

Following its shock defeat at FC Bayern Munich in the opening round, Real made a jittery start against Partizan as the Spanish team’s former prospect Mario Nakic fired the Serbian team into a 0-5 lead. The visitors were red hot from deep as they nailed 6 of 10 in the first quarter, but Real dominated the paint and was able to end the period on level terms with its opponent, 24-24.

The home team gained the upper hand in the second quarter and enjoyed a slender lead as Ibaka finished the first half on 11 points and 4 boards, while Campazzo dished out 8 assists to counter Partizan’s long-range artillery, with the visiting team making 8 of 15 shots from downtown in the first half. However, Real dominated the boards 20-10 through and was able to take a 50-47 advantage into the locker room at halftime, setting the tone for a physical third quarter.

With both teams missing shots in a fast-paced start to the second half, Real led 68-66 early in the fourth quarter before a 15-0 run, instigated by Campazzo dishing out assists like confetti, put the Spanish giant out of sight.

Carlik Jones replied with his own run at the other end, mixing some delicious layups with long-range shooting to haul Partiazn back into the contest, as the Serbian side slashed its deficit to 90-83. Campazzo then hit a clutch three-pointer to seal Real’s win in front of a jubilant home crowd.

The Spanish giant celebrated its first EuroLeague win of the season in another thrilling contest with its Serbian rival 

Theo Maledon and Nando De Colo shined in LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s first victory of the season, but it was Neal Sako who stole the spotlight in just his second EuroLeague game. 

Neal Sako steals spotlight in ASVEL’s first win 

[Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) and [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) shined in LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s first victory of the season, but it was [Neal Sako](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/neal-sako/010545/) who stole the spotlight in just his second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game.

Sako saved the game for ASVEL as he blocked [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/)’s potential game-tying shot at the buzzer to secure [an 87-85 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/neal-sakos-block-at-buzzer-gives-asvel-first-victory/).

“That last play is just Neal. It’s Neal all the way. He’s a hard worker. He works so hard every morning, after practice, before practice, that he deserves this,” said ASVEL head coach Pierric Poupet after the Round 2 win.

Sako rose to the challenge when it mattered most, stating afterward: “I expected us to win, but I didn’t expect to make the last play of the game. I know that I have to be ready at any moment, whenever the team needs me. I had the chance to be there when it counts.”

Maledon collected 17 points and 5 assists and De Colo tallied 16 points and 8 assists - the latter joining [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) as the only other player in EuroLeague history with 4,500 points.

Neal Sako, what a game!

Sako, however, led ASVEL with 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds - including 5 offensive rebounds - to go with 2 steals and 2 blocks for a performance index rating of 30.

“I feel great. That is the first win of the season in the EuroLeague. We had been looking for it. I’m really happy for the team, my teammates and the fans that we got the job done tonight,” said Sako, who played the last two seasons with Cholet Basket.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BEST SCORER, BEST REBOUNDER, BEST EVALUATION, BLOCK OF THE NIGHT = MVPPPPPPP <a href="https://t.co/USZfJ5pUis">pic.twitter.com/USZfJ5pUis</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1844488418648285602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 26-year-old made a huge jump forward after going for 6 points, 4 rebounds - all of them offensive boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in the season-opening loss to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. 

Sako also has helped ASVEL to three wins in three games in the French League with 6.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. 

The French talent is just beginning his EuroLeague career, but if his second game is any indicator, this won’t be the last time he steals the spotlight. 

The big man dominated in his second-ever EuroLeague appearance 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-10-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens inaugurated the new-look Oaka Altion with a 94-79 victory over FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night. 

Panathinaikos crashes Bayern, 94-79, for first home win

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens inaugurated the new-look Oaka Altion with a 94-79 victory over FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night. The hosts established a double-digit lead in the first half and despite a Bayern comeback to trim the deficit to 66-60 early in the fourth, the defending champions netted 28 points in the closing quarter to clinch the win. Panathinaikos improved its record to 2-0 win, while Bayern dropped to 1-1.

Mathias Lessort led all scorers with 22 points and Kendrick Nunn scored 17. Jerian Grant netted 11 points, with Juancho Hernangomez completing a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Devin Booker paced Bayern with 15 points, Carsen Edwards scored 14 and Yam Madar added 11.

It was Lessort who scored the first basket on the renovated Oaka Altion floor with a put-back before a Nunn triple, a layup from Konstantinos Mitoglou and a Cedi Osman three-pointer saw Panathinaikos go on a 10-0 run. Bayern responded with a 0-5 surge, but Mitoglou netted his second bucket of the game to restore a 14-5 lead. Nunn took his tally to 10 points with a step-back triple after breaking Edwards’s ankles and although the latter responded with a three-point play, the hosts took a 25-16 lead into the second quarter.

Booker opened the second with a ferocious dunk, but the hosts replied with a 6-0 run, as Omer Yurtseven and Hernangomez opened their accounts off the bench, 31-18. A couple of Bayern turnovers allowed Panathinaikos to hit on the break and Hernangomez made it 37-20 with an open slam. Lessort added 8 points to his tally, but triples from Johannes Voigtmann and Andreas Obst gave Bayern the opportunity to cut the difference to 47-34 at the break.

Solid defense, exemplary transition basketball and offensive rebounds allowed the hosts to pull away in the opening stages of the second half, extending their lead to 57-38. Bayern responded with a 2-7 run, with Edwards nailing another three-point play. Then, a Lessort bucket was followed by 3 free throws from Napier before a Nick Weiler-Babb triple brought Bayern within 61-51. Yurtseven took his tally to 6 points from inside, but a triple from Oscar da Silva saw Bayern trim the deficit to single digits for the first time since early in the second quarter and made it 66-58 heading into the fourth.

An Obst triple was followed by an easy bucket from Booker, but Panathinaikos bounced back and extended its lead to 78-65 courtesy of three-pointers from Grant and Juancho, as well as a Brown dunk in transition. Bayern tried to fight back, but a corner triple from Brown and an impressive one-handed slam from Lessort boosted Panathinaikos’s lead to 85-72, with the reigning champion practically finishing it off in crunch time.

Mathias Lessort led 4 Greens scorers in double figures with 22 points

Unselfish Fenerbahce learning its lessons

With only two games of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season played, it’s inevitable that players across the continent are still finding their feet and teams are very much works in progress.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is no exception and – despite advancing to 2-0 with a pair of morale-boosting victories over major rivals Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul – head coach Saras Jasikevicius was happy to admit his team still has plenty to work on.

After seeing his team [grind out a 78-83 victory at local rivals Efes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-outlasts-efes-to-take-istanbul-derby-78-83/) on Thursday night, the hard-nosed Lithuanian boss emphasized that his team’s process of development is only just beginning.

“It’s the best way to learn right now,” he said. “Maybe some of these runs by Efes could be avoided, and it will be a great feeling tomorrow to watch the video and learn from this as a team. Learning with wins is always a little more pleasant.

“We need to learn a lot how we can play so good and then Efes can take us out of the game, but it’s early in the season and it’s nice to take a win like this.”

Jasikevicius certainly had no complaints about the attitude of his players, saying: “We came out with a great mentality and the fighting spirit was there.

“Our second unit basically carried us. They played very simple basketball, they played for one another, they shared the ball, helped each other defensively, made good fouls and really got us the big lead.”

One player who epitomized the effort of that second unit was big man [Khem Birch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/khem-birch/007182/), who came off the bench to show great hustle as he recorded 10 points – going 7 of 7 from the foul line – and grab 8 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive glass, in nearly 27 minutes on the floor.

Khem Birch: 'I bring energy, rebounding and defense'

And the Canadian center expressed the selfless attitude that had been praised by his coach, modestly saying: “I’m not the most gifted offensively but what I bring is energy, rebounding and defense.

“That’s what I did tonight. I give credit to my teammates and also the second unit because we played unselfish.”

Being unselfish, playing with hustle, and learning: it’s Fenerbahce’s early-season recipe for success.

Saras Jasikevicius's men came out on top in the Istanbul derby on Thursday night

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-10-10T17:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne collected its first victory of the season in thrilling fashion as Neal Sako’s block at the buzzer secured an 87-85 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna at home. 

Neal Sako’s block at buzzer gives ASVEL first victory 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne collected its first victory of the season in thrilling fashion as Neal Sako’s block at the buzzer secured an 87-85 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna at home. ASVEL lost a 13-point third-quarter lead but never allowed Virtus to pull ahead and now has a 1-1 record.

Sako finished the game with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks while Theo Maledon scored 17 points with 5 assists and Nando De Colo added 16 points and 8 assists. Virtus fell to 0-2 despite Isaia Cordinier scoring 23 points to go with 5 rebounds and 6 assists and Mouhamet Diouf scored 15 points. 

Admiral Schofield knocked down 2 three-pointers as ASVEL opened a 13-8 lead. Cordinier scored 7 points at the other end and Virtus was down just 14-13. De Colo started taking over with 7 points in an 18-6 run for a 32-19 advantage. Virtus made 2 three-pointers on its end but Mbaye Ndiaye and De Colo were on target from deep for the hosts, who were up 38-27 after 10 minutes.

Joffrey Lauvergne’s score to open the second quarter pushed the lead to 40-27. Virtus got a triple from Matthew Morgan to trim the deficit to 42-34 only to have back-to-back layups from Maledon push the margin to 13 again. Cordinier and Toko Shengelia combined for 10 points and the visitors were down just 57-49 at the break.

Virtus needed nearly 3 minutes to score in the third quarter and ASVEL once again established a 13-point lead, 62-49. Virtus’s defense started getting stops and at the other end reeled off 13 straight points to tie the game at 68-68. Shaquille Harrison answered with a three-pointer and ASVEL was up 73-70 after 30 minutes.

The score was tied at 74-74, 79-79, 81-81 and 83-83 with less than 3 minutes left but the French side did not break. In making the score 83-81, De Colo scored his 4,500th point - becoming just the second player in EuroLeague history after Mike James to achieve that mark. De Colo and Cordinier scored 2 points and it was tied 85-85 with 100 seconds to play. Sako and Maledon both split two free throws in the final 63 seconds, setting up the final play in which Cordinier drove to the basket but was met at the top of his jump by Sako for the game-saving block.

The home team's center finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul claimed local derby bragging rights with a 78-83 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday, keeping Coach Saras Jasikevicius’s team perfect at 2-0 while Efes slipped to 1-1.

Fenerbahce outlasts Efes to take Istanbul derby, 78-83

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul claimed local derby bragging rights with a 78-83 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday, keeping Coach Saras Jasikevicius’s team perfect at 2-0 while Efes slipped to 1-1.

Fenerbahce stormed into a 15-point lead in the second quarter but Efes pushed hard to tie it up with 2 minutes remaining, before three-pointers from Marko Guduric and Arturs Zagars settled the outcome. Bonzie Colson led the winning team’s scoring with 16 points, while Wade Baldwin netted 15, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Zagars scored 11 and Khem Birch had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Dan Oturu led Efes’s resistance with 21 points, and Elijah Bryant scored 15 before being ejected.

Sertac Sanli started strong by striking from deep and Bryant responded with a three-point play in the closely contested early stages. Colson also hit a three, but Oturu buried a layup and one for an 8-8 tie. Guduric hit another Fener triple, but Oturu again made a three-point play, 13-13. Colson hit two quickfire threeballs, one of them a four-point play, and Zagars added another deep strike, before Shane Larkin beat the first-quarter buzzer to make it 21-27 after 10 minutes.

Fener started the second quarter strong with Tarik Biberovic and Zagars on target, moving ahead 21-33. Rodrigue Beaubois boosted Efes with a steal and score, but Biberovic hit a three-pointer in a low-scoring phase of the game. Birch’s free throws capped a 2-11 run, before Vincent Poirier threw down an alley-oop slam. Baldwin netted from mid-range and Hayes-Davis added a triple, 29-45. Larkin’s free throws were bettered by another Hayes-Davis three, before Beaubois and Bryant finally hit Efes’s first triples to make it 37-46 at the break.

Hayes-Davis and Baldwin struck from deep to start the second half with a 37-52 Fener lead, before Darius Thompson and Derek Willis reduced the margin to 48-56. Biberovic scored a tough layup but then got into a physical altercation with Bryant immediately after the basket, and both players were ejected. Beaubois struck from deep but Zagars replied with a driving layup, and it was 51-60 after three quarters.

Stanley Johnson’s triple gave Efes hope, but Baldwin responded with a pair of triples for a 54-68 lead. Jordan Nwora and Oturu were on target as the hosts kept trying to fight, but Birch delivered another double-digit lead midway through the fourth, 61-72. Larkin’s triple, Oturu’s three-point play and Beaubois’s corner three made it 72-74 with three minutes left, Nwora struck from mid-range to tie it up, 74-74, but Guduric and Zagars were accurate from deep to seal the deal.

Bonzie Colson and Wade Baldwin starred for the victors

Real Madrid and KK Partizan face off at WiZink Center in the EuroLeague on Thursday night in a game that has plenty of recent history.

Real, Partizan meet again in Madrid

Two clubs with extraordinarily high standards meet again at WiZink Center in Round 2, as Real Madrid hosts Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade with looking for their first win in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. In Round 1, *Los Blancos* saw FC Bayern Munich rally from a double-digit deficit and register [a 97-89 victory at the brand-new SAP Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fc-bayern-munich-real-madrid/E2024/5/), while Partizan led most of the way at Buesa Arena but [ended up falling to Baskonia-Vitoria Gasteiz, 88-82](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-grinds-down-partizan-88-82-thanks-to-cohesive-team-effort/), in a thriller.

Few fans, if any, have forgotten the 2023 playoff series between Real and Partizan. After nine consecutive road losses this century, Partizan took Game 1 87-89 on a clutch shot by [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), now with Real's archrival FC Barcelona, and also won Game 2, 78-85. 

Real then stepped into uncharted territory, becoming the first team in EuroLeague history to rally from a 0-2 deficit in a playoff series and win it. After back-to-back wins in Belgrade, Real trailed 56-72 with under 13 minutes remaining in Game 5. [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/) and [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) led Real's comeback, roared on by an incredible crowd, and *Los Blancos* won the game, 98-94, the series and eventually, the 2022-23 EuroLeague title.

[Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) had 20 points in that game while [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) added 13. Their role has gradually increased over the years to the point that they are two of the team's leaders this season. Musa was named to the 2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team and Hezonja earned 2023-24 All-EuroLeague Second Team honors. What’s more, Musa and Hezonja were two of three Real players to be chosen as MVP of the Month last season. Playmaker [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) was the other one while [Gaby Deck](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/gabriel-deck/009005/) and [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) have also signed long-term contracts to remain key cogs in the core of a very competitive team.

Partizan has a brand-new squad, led by coaching legend Zeljko Obradovic. [Balsa Koprivica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/balsa-koprivica/011050/) is the only senior player from last year’s team who is still on the roster as Partizan has brought in a mix of EuroLeague veterans and younger players who are ready to prove themselves. [Brandon Davies](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-davies/007870/), [Vanja Marinkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vanja-marinkovic/004761/), [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) and [Isaac Bonga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaac-bonga/006760/) belong to the first group, and [Sterling Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sterling-brown/012720/) and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) bring in one year of EuroLeague experience, a bit more than [Frank Ntilikina](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/frank-ntilikina/006591/), [Aleksej Pokusevski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksej-pokusevski/008232/), [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) and the currently injured [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isiaha-mike/011836/). If available, it will be interesting to follow [Mario Nakic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-nakic/007632/), who was the 2019 ANGT Finals MVP with Real, as he makes his return to the Spanish capital.

<center>
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Obradovic coached Real for three seasons, joining the team right after winning the EuroLeague title with Joventut Badalona in 1994. He led Real to its eighth continental crown in 1995, with legendary center Arvydas Sabonis earning Final Four MVP honors. To date, Obradovic is the only coach to win consecutive EuroLeague titles with different teams. Obradovic also won the Saporta Cup with *Los Blancos* in 1997, with a young Dejan Bodiroga and Alberto Herreros leading the way. Almost 30 years later, Sabonis turns 60 in December, Bodiroga is the current Euroleague Basketball president and Herreros is Real's sporting director, but Obradovic keeps doing what he loves – coaching – and won six more EuroLeague titles after that one in 1995.

Real also has its fair share of newcomers. [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andres-feliz/011247/) arrives to share the point guard duties with Campazzo after a great season with Joventut, and [Xavier Rathan-Mayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/xavier-rathan-mayes/013378/) is a scorer ready to prove his value at this level. His stepfather Tharon Mayes played with Breogan Lugo and scored 21 points against Real Madrid in 1995, four months before Obradovic led *Los Blancos* to the EuroLeague title. Both [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/) and [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/) returned to Real to offer defense, athleticism and very valuable experience.

<center>
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Partizan has not been able to beat Real since the 2023 playoffs. Last season, Real prevailed at home, 91-75, behind 23 points for Musa. It was also able to win in front of a passionate crowd at Belgrade Arena, defeating Partizan 76-88 with over 20,000 fans in attendance. That night, Hezonja had 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a season-high PIR of 33.

This is Real's home opener and a great crowd is expected in the Spanish capital, with plenty expected to be there cheering on Partizan, too. Great tradition meets exciting, recent history in a one-of-a-kind showdown. Tune in to EuroLeague TV from 20:45 CEST to watch the action unfold!

It is a special game for both teams as they go in search of their first victory