The battle for the 2nd place in Spain: Real facing Zaragoza in Madrid
Who would have believed at the beginning of the season that this game will be the direct duel for the second place in the strongest league of Europe? Casademont Zaragoza is having a huge year in Liga Endesa and in Basketball Champions League, with real chances to play at least the semifinals in both competitions.
In their first meeting, Zaragoza won at home against Real Madrid by a significant margin (84-67) which will count a lot in the case of a tie and it seems difficult to remove today, especially because the Merengues are coming after a double round in the Euroleague. They had one of the busiest weeks with the 4th game in 8 days, while Zaragoza played only one game at home in the BasketballCL playoffs reporting an easy win against Lietkabelis.
After the clash in Madrid, Casademont Zaragoza will travel to Lithuania to have the second leg of the encounter with Lietkabelis, but I think that game won’t be a problem for the Spanish squad. They could win this week maybe with 20 points being sure about the qualifiers to the next stage of BasketballCL, but they saved energy to face Real Madrid in this special game that could have an important meaning for the second place in Liga Endesa. That’s why I expect Zaragoza to try to resist today and not to lose with the big margin, especially in these circumstances when the host team is more tired than them.
With a complete roster boosted by the recent signing Jason Thompson, Zaragoza can have a brighter season they ever expected. If they will win today in Madrid this will be an important step in the Liga Endesa standings amplifying their possibilities to stay close to the leader, F.C. Barcelona and to have the home-court advantage for the playoffs.
Photo: Basketball Champions League
Gratian Cormos
