The semifinals start today with Barça-Tenerife clash
There are moments in sports that transcend the scoreboard and become legendary. On Friday, June 6, 2026, La Laguna Tenerife wrote one of the most thrilling stories in recent Spanish basketball history, eliminating Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Liga Endesa playoffs and punching their ticket to the semifinals series against FC Barcelona.
Xavi Pascual returned to Barcelona’s bench in November 2025, the coach who had won 19 trophies in his first tenure (2008 – 2016), returning on a contract through 2028. Under his direction, the Catalans have rediscovered their collective identity, even if the season has been a bumpy ride. Pascual has never lost a semifinal series in his career – between 2008 and 2016, he won nine consecutive ones, a remarkable stat that cuts both ways: it raises expectations while adding an extra layer of psychological weight to this matchup.
Barcelona comes in with home-court advantage, the infrastructure of a top European club, and a deeper roster than their opponents. Kevin Punter and Nicolás Laprovittola bring elite production at the guard positions, and the Palau Blaugrana crowd could be a decisive factor across a best-of-five series.
The Canary Islanders have already proven they don’t bow to rankings or reputations. They eliminated Real Madrid without four key rotation players – Shermadini, Guerra, Fitipaldo, and Giedraitis – and, during the regular season, they won on the road at the Palau Blaugrana, snapping the Catalans’ ten-game winning streak in the ACB.
Their weapons are well-scouted by now: Patty Mills, the relentless scoring machine off the perimeter; Marcelinho Huertas, running the point with the composure and court vision of a 43-year-old who’s seen it all; and Yebo, the breakout player of the postseason. All the pressure falls on Barcelona. Tenerife has already won three road games against Real Madrid and one at the Palau in the regular season – they deserve every bit of credit they get.
On paper, Barcelona is the favourite. In reality, this semifinal series is a wide-open ball game. If Tenerife can control the pace, slow it into a half-court game, and keep Mills and Huertas cooking, the upset is absolutely on the table. If Barcelona imposes its physicality, exploits its depth off the bench, and plays its style of up-tempo basketball, the title stays in Catalonia. Either way, Spanish basketball is putting on a show.
Razvan Tabrea
Photo: FC Barcelona
