For a better playoff spot: Anadolu Efes vs. Bayern Munich
Anadolu Efes will host Bayern Munich today in the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, in a game that counts for Round 19 of the EuroLeague. Both teams have already secured their playoff spots, but they can still climb or fall (in the case of Efes) in the standings.
Anadolu Efes is currently tied for 5th place with Maccabi Tel Aviv and doesn’t have any chance to climb up in the top 4 and gain the home-court advantage. The potential playoff opponent is also unknown, as Olympiacos, Real Madrid and Olimpia Milan are still playing for the 2-4 spots. In any case, the main objective for Efes now is to regain the confidence they had last season going into the playoffs. If they do that, I believe that the playoff series that involves the Turkish team will be the most interesting to watch and Efes is the only team that has a real chance to make an upset and qualify for the Final Four.
To keep the 5th place their currently hold, Anadolu Efes should start with a win today against Andrea Trinchieri’s Bayern. The German team was hit by Covid last month and had to suspend a couple of games. This came at the worst moment as several team members had to miss practices or important games just before the end of the regular season. Still, Bayern Munich managed to recover and win a crucial game against Crvena Zvezda at home that secured a playoff spot. With two games left to play, the Germans could even finish 7th and avoid FC Barcelona in the playoffs.
Besides all the mathematics, the most important thing for the two teams right now is to improve and try to reach their peak form as the most important weeks of the season are very near.
Image credit: EuroLeague
Imre Halasz
