The clash of the giants: Brose Bamberg vs. AEK Athens
The clash of the giants: Brose Bamberg vs. AEK Athens
One of the biggest battles of the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals will take place in Germany, where AEK Athens will continue their journey to defend the Basketball Champions League title with a visit to Brose Bamberg in the first leg of the round. The goal is very simple: Final Four. There will be a very interesting matchup considering the current form of both teams.
First, let’s take a look at Brose Bamberg. The German team won last 11 games including last round double win over Banvit. In both games, Tyrese Rice was the main weapon scoring 52 points.
Brose key players are Tyrese Rice, Augustine Rubit and Elias Harris on the offensive end. Ricky Hickman helps the team with his playmaking skills and his contribution is bigger from match to match. Also, there are several players that can contribute and the rotation is large and talented. Another important factor is coach Federico Perego. He was appointed in January and because he is only 34-years-old there were some people questioning that decision. The ex-Euroleague powerhouse had a rough start under the new management, but then they seemed to find the perfect rhythm.
Their opponents, AEK Athens proved as well their extraordinary shape. They have lost only 1 game in their last 11 encounters. In this run, they won also the Intercontinental Cup against Flamengo. In the last round of the BCL playoffs, the reigning champions passed over PAOK.
The main weapons for AEK Athens are Vince Hunter and Dusan Sakota. But Malcolm Griffin and Jonas Maciulis can make their contributions worthy. Howard Sant-Roos with his strong defense is a key factor for AEK`s success this year.
Before the 1st leg, both teams have full rosters.
Head 2 head: They played each other in the Champions League group this year and both teams won their home match. In Greece, AEK won 93-86 and in Germany, Brose won 77-73.
Comparison Stats:
Brose: 82.6 points, 46.5 FG%, 83.3 FT%, 34.1 rebounds, 12.1 turnovers
AEK: 79.9 points, 45 FG%, 71.3 FT%, 37.6 rebounds, 11.8 turnovers
Bogdan Vasile Tirc, info@brainbasketball.net
