Pedro Martinez’s men got back to winning ways in Round 10
Valencia goes from strength to strength at Roig Arena, downs Real Madrid
Informes de partidos
3 Min lectura
Regular Season
Round 10 of 38
Regular Season
Valencia BasketVBC
8976
Real MadridRMB
Overview
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Moving into a new arena is not always easy, but Valencia Basket has quickly turned Roig Arena into a fortress.
The club was known for having one of the most passionate atmospheres in European basketball at La Fonteta, and it seems some of that same magic has carried over to its brand-new home just down the road.
On Tuesday night, Las Taronjas defeated Real Madrid 89–76 in front of a record 14,922-strong crowd in Round 10 – their second win over Los Blancos this campaign, but their first at Roig Arena.
Before the season even tipped off, Valencia lifted its second Spanish Super Cup after a 98–94 victory over Real Madrid in Malaga at the end of September. That makes it 2–0 for Valencia in this matchup so far this season, a measure of revenge after being swept by Real Madrid in last June’s Spanish League Finals.
Perhaps most impressive is the way Valencia has achieved these wins – playing a fast-paced, energetic brand of basketball that has fans inside Roig Arena buzzing.
“It was a super exciting game,” said Omari Moore, who recorded 16 points and 5 rebounds, when speaking to EuroLeague TV after the win. “The atmosphere was really good. I felt like our team played hard all four quarters. We played our brand of basketball and were able to come out with the win.”
Valencia has now won each of the seven games held at Roig Arena that have had fans in attendance, with four of those coming in EuroLeague play. Its only home defeat so far was against Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, a game played behind closed doors. With supporters in the stands, it's clear that Las Taronjas continue to go from strength to strength on their new home court.
“This is the EuroLeague – normally the arenas are full and everybody is excited,” Coach Martínez said postgame. “When we play on the road, we have the same atmosphere as today. Last week at Zalgiris was incredible. That’s good. For this reason, this competition is so important.”
“I think we played really hard and we played great together,” added forward Nate Reuvers, who finished with 14 points and 2 blocks. “It’s important to do that every night for these great fans, especially after the losses last week.”
The second half of this double-round week will see Valencia hit the road – where it is currently 2–3 – to face Paris Basketball before returning for back-to-back games at Roig Arena.
Tuesday’s victory marked Valencia’s first win over Real Madrid since February 19, 2021. Only Josep Puerto and Jaime Pradilla remain from that roster, with Pradilla not even stepping on the court that night. This is a new era for Valencia Basket – and one in which this current group seems to be thriving.
Even if Real Madrid has looked a bit like Jekyll and Hyde this season – perfect at home (4–0) but just 1–5 on the road – this was a statement win for Valencia, and one its fans won’t forget anytime soon.
