'Los Blancos' looked solid on defense from the off in blowout win over the reigning champions
Real Madrid reasserts defensive discipline to crush Fenerbahce
Rapport de match
3 Minute de lecture
Regular Season
Round 8 of 38
Regular Season
Real MadridRMB
8458
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
Overview
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Contested shots, blocks, deflections, hustle plays on both ends and relentless effort from start to finish – Real Madrid was desperate to get back to winning ways and it did so through its defense. Having struggled to rediscover their form away from home, Los Blancos came into Thursday's clash against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on the back of three straight road losses.
In its bid to turn the page, Real Madrid needed a solid start to the game, defensive solidity and consistency throughout. And Sergio Scariolo’s players ticked all the boxes.
The game started with a rain of triples, as Facundo Campazzo drilled two before Trey Lyles and Alberto Abalde nailed one each to open a 17-2 lead just 3 and a half minutes into the game. Having taken a 25-16 advantage after 10 minutes, the hosts held the reigning EuroLeague champion to just 6 points in the second quarter.
Theo Maledon came off the bench to score 9 straight points, as Real Madrid went on a 20-2 spurt to end the second period, securing a 49-22 cushion at halftime by forcing the visitors to go 9-for-41 from the field.
“I think we started really strong, especially on the defensive end,” Maledon told EuroLeague TV. “Everybody really set the tempo there and it was good for us. I think it's got to be our DNA moving forward, relying on defense to get going.”
The Spanish side was aware that the opening stages of the second half might be as important as the start to the game. Real Madrid didn’t rest on its laurels and made sure that there was no way back into the duel for Fenerbahce. In fact, Los Blancos held their rivals to just 35 points, holding the visitors to their second-lowest scoring tally ever after three quarters.
“We were consistent throughout the 40 minutes tonight, [but] especially I liked how we played the third quarter,” Coach Scariolo said in his post-game EuroLeague TV interview. “We had a fantastic first half, but we didn’t let them come back into the game. Against a super high-level team like Fenerbahce, if you show them some blood, they will take it.”
Having established a comfortable lead, Real Madrid didn’t take its foot off the gas, grabbing a morale-boosting 84-58 win. It did so by remaining consistent on both ends of the floor throughout the game – something of high importance according to Edy Tavares.
“When we start the game like this, we've got to keep up with the same energy from the first to the last second,” the Real Madrid center told EuroLeague TV. “I think that in those couple of losses we had away, we had one or two bad quarters that cost us the game.”
After squandering a 16-point lead at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, Real Madrid ended the double-round week on a high note. More importantly, the Spanish team went back to factory settings by reacquainting themselves with the defensive resilience they aim to establish as a guiding principle under Coach Scariolo.
The team's defensive approach in Thursday’s win lays the foundation of what Real Madrid hopes to showcase this season. And with El Clásico coming up next week, they couldn't ask for better timing.
