A big battle for second place will be held between the two teams currently tied for that position, Barcelona (15-8) and Virtus (15-8).
Luca Banchi, Virtus: 'One of the best teams in the entire EuroLeague'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 24 of 34
Regular Season
FC BarcelonaBAR
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Virtus Segafredo BolognaVIR
Overview
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Both are looking to bounce back from road losses after Barca was beaten in Milan while Virtus was downed by Fenerbahce. The Italian team took the win, 80-75, when they met in Round 12 as Iffe Lundberg stepped up late with 24 points. Virtus also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds that day, with 4 from Jordan Mickey, so the hosts will look for Jan Vesely, who continued his superb season with 28 points in Milan last week, and Willy Hernangomez to protect their backboard more effectively. Nico Laprovittola will be desperate to bounce back after scoring 0 points in Milan, and he faces a shootout with Virtus’s long-range specialist Marco Belinelli.
Roger Grimau, Barcelona head coach
"It's a very important game because the league is getting tighter. We are tied with Virtus and we play at home, so we have to try to get some momentum with our fans and play a good game, like we know. We have to show a good tone in defense, that would get us closer to a win against a team that is having a great season."
Luca Banchi, Virtus head coach
"We arrive at this match against Barcelona aware of facing one of the best teams in the entire EuroLeague, which has shown that it knows how to bring out its game characteristics, especially in home games. We want to come to this appointment showing the personality and determination of wanting to sell our skin dearly, to play every chance at our disposal and to find the continuity of performance that can guide us to a success that would be fundamental in the continuation of our European path."
Nico Laprovittola, Barcelona player
"Our mindset has to be on this game against Virtus. We have to think about all their players. In Italy we did not wrap up the game against them and after that we had some bad games. We have to think about what it means to get this win and we have to take the point differential also. All games matter in the EuroLeague, and at home we have to stay strong. We need all the help from the fans that we can get."
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus player
"A special game is certainly waiting for us, an almost direct clash for second place, it will certainly be a beautiful game and a very tough away game on a really difficult court. They have shown it throughout the season, we are talking about one of the favorite teams to reach the final title. Definitely a difficult and very physical game, we should be good at focusing on the game plan and listen to our technical staff. We have to focus on our defense and be continuous for all 40 minutes."