Madrid heals wounds with classic victory over Barcelona | Basketball | Sports

Euroleague day 9

Barça

Real Madrid

The classic is white. The months pass, competitions alternate and players and even coaches change. But the great duel in Spanish basketball continues to fall on the Madrid side. The Madrid team beat Barça in the Euroleague yesterday in the first classic of the season and has now won nine consecutive games since Barcelona’s last victory, in April 2024. Sergio Scariolo also won the victory on the night he relived that duel on the bench, 23 years later. In fact, his team won for the first time in Europe as a visitor, after four defeats this season, and no less than in a Palau with its arms in its seats (around 1,000 fewer fans, on average, than a year ago). Real Madrid got the rebound (21-36) and Trey Lyles had a sublime performance with 29 points. The two giants are tied in the standings with five wins and four losses.

The cards on the table. Shengelia and Tavares, a reference for each team, started in the first quintets despite doubts about their physical condition. An acrobatic three-pointer from Campazzo late in the possession opened a fluid exchange of baskets. Tavares’ hammer and Lyles’ fine wrist gave the Whites their first lead (4-11), while Barça took a while to open up their usual source on the perimeter. It was his inner couple, Shengelia and Vesely, who raised their fists. Peñarroya gave flight to the recovered Laprovittola and Campazzo received him with some triples in that one-on-one between the two Argentine guards. Clyburn responded to the challenge with another distant bingo. The duel was played at full steam, faster than athletic, and the visitors added more success to the formula. Maledon maintained high tension in the Madrid lead and Scariolo’s team reached the first break with a good advantage (24-34) thanks to a triple kilometer from their Okeke field. Barça bled in defense.

The dynamite in the triple was whiter than Barça. Madrid closed the rebound and avoided losses. It’s time for Ukrainian central defender Alex Len’s debut. Scariolo used his 12 players to maintain the defensive line and rest figures like Campazzo. Maledon’s good work allowed the boss to breathe behind the wheel and widen the gap (29-44). Barça was resurrected with the fire of Punter and the careers of two old rockers, Shengelia and Clyburn. Madrid contained that spark with the teachings of Campazzo and the points of the omnipresent Lyles. Thus he survived one of those ecstatic moments in which Barcelona fans display their battalion of great shooters (48-58).

Lyles was relentless. The Canadian striker is a scoring machine from all corners. Between the former NBA player’s offensive production and Abalde’s block on Punter, Real Madrid strengthened their control against a Barcelona team that took almost three minutes to score a basket. Haste was a terrible ally for Peñarroya’s men. And Lyles, without taking his foot off the gas (52-68). Number 0 unnerved any defender. Satoransky also lost his nerve and scored another technical foul to be eliminated. Inferior in terms of rebounds, the Barça team could not resist Real Madrid’s range of offensive resources (69-85 at the end of the third quarter).

Another moment in darkness made Barça’s path steeper. Punter and Brizuela scored three points each time, a fast-paced attack that gave them benefits when a stronger defense came together (83-92). A reaction that came too late, on the ropes, more a product of fervor than of basketball. All it took was for Real Madrid to play a header to seal their first away win this season in Europe and for some white handkerchiefs to appear in Palau.

Euroleague results and standings.