What can bring the last round of the EuroLeague?
The 2024-25 EuroLeague regular season reached its final round, and there are still many questions to be answered in Round 34.
No team that is outside the top 10 can enter the postseason, so we know the names of all qualified teams, but the exact order that decides the teams that will have home court advantage in the quarterfinals and the teams that will have to compete in a play-in first is not known yet.
On Thursday, the only game involving two teams in the top 10 will be played in Munich, where Bayern will host Fenerbahce. The German team is 6th in the standings and will desperately need a win to avoid the play-in. Fenerbahce still has a chance to finish first in the standings with a win in Germany, as they are only one win behind Olympiacos.
In Lyon we will have a French derby, as ASVEL will host AS Monaco. Unfortunately for the home fans, ASVEL is out of the playoff race, while Monaco is 4th and will want to keep the home-court advantage.
In Piraeus we have a clear favourite in the Olympiacos-Maccabi matchup. The Greeks are first in the standings, and they want to keep this position, while Maccabi had a disappointing season, as they will finish the season in 16th place.
In Belgrade and Paris, we will also have two games where a motivated team that fights for a better position will meet a team that is outside the playoff picture. Real Madrid has a good morale after an exciting win in the El Clasico against Barcelona and wants to enter the Top 6 with a win against Partizan, a team that had moments when it looked like a Final Four contender but eventually failed to qualify for the Top 10. In Paris, the hosts will play against last-placed Alba Berlin, and the French team still has a chance for a Top 6 spot, so they are heavy favourites in this game.
In Milan, the game between Olimpia and Baskonia will have no stake. Both teams had a disappointing season, especially the Italians, who were expected to be at least in the Top 10.
On Friday, there are three games scheduled. In Athens, Panathinaikos will play against Zvezda. Both teams are qualified, but the Serbians can still reach a top 6 spot with a win. In Istanbul, Anadolu Efes will look for its 8th straight win in the EuroLeague against Zalgiris Kaunas. The Turkish team completely changed the course of its season in the last 2 months, and now they look like a team that can shock the continent and go for the trophy in May. Lastly, in Barcelona, the hosts should win against Virtus Bologna to hope for a top 6 finish and even a home court advantage if the results from other games help them. Barca did not have a successful season so far, but now is the best time to start winning and turn things around.
Imre Halasz
Image: EuroLeague
