A matchup between two genuine title contenders concludes the week in style as second-placed Barcelona (18-8) hosts fourth-placed (16-10) Monaco.
Roger Grimau, Barcelona: 'They have confidence, so that makes them twice as dangerous'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 27 of 34
Regular Season
FC BarcelonaBAR
6777
AS MonacoASM
Overview
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All eyes will be on Mike James as Monaco's star guard hunts down the 29 points that would make him the competition's all-time leading scorer, but another combo guard will also look to have a say as Nico Laprovittola looks to extend Barça's six-game home winning run. Monaco earned a convincing home victory, 91-71, when the teams met in December, led by 19 points on 4 of 6 three-point shooting from the all-action Alpha Diallo. Barca had more turnovers (14) than assists (13) in that game, and will look for Tomas Satoransky to provide more backcourt control this time around.
Roger Grimau, Barcelona head coach
"We have many options at the backcourt and I think Ricky can fit in with Rokas and Sato. He can give us more options to play in different ways. All my players are high-level players and I will always have to leave two out. We will try to manage that so that the team gets the most out of it. The players who did not play with the NT's have been able to rest a bit. The ones that played are all okay and they will be ready for the game against Monaco. We know we play against an athletic team in all aspects, but I think we are ready. Monaco is a demanding opponent who has won six straight EuroLeague games. They have confidence, so that makes them twice as dangerous."
Tomas Satoransky, Barcelona player
"The break allowed us to catch some air. I think we all needed that, because the season is very demanding, both the games and the trips. In my case, I had to play with my national team, but it's always welcome to play for your country. We have now to focus to stay at the level we were before the break. Ricky has practiced with us a few times now and he's doing great. He makes all players better. He needed to get back into the game gradually, he has a basketball genius inside of him and I am sure he will contribute more and more. I followed him when I was young and now I get to play alongside him."