lt’s Chus Mateo and Real Madrid seeking back to back titles against Ergin Ataman and Panthinaikos in the game that matters the most. Who comes out on top in the Euroleague title game?
After 38 rounds of the regular season, the playoffs, and the semi finals, it’s time for the Euroleague champion to be crowned. Chus Mateo leads Real Madrid against Ergin Ataman and Panathinaikos in Berlin.
Key details
Who: Real Madrid (31-7) vs Panathinaikos (27-13)
Where: Uber Arena, Berlin
When: Sunday 26 May 20.00 CET/ 19.00 (UK/Ireland)/ 14.00 EST
How they got here
Real Madrid
Regular season: 27-7 (1st)
Playoffs: 3-0 vs Baskonia
Semi-final: 87-76
Having been the best side all season across the Euroleague regular season and playoffs, Chus Mateo’s Real Madrid made a statement at the start of their victory over Olympiacos on Friday.
Los Blancos jumped out to a 28-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and led by 19 at the half. Olympiacos rallied but could never get closer than 8 points and Real were always in control.
Panathinaikos
Regular season: 23-11 (2nd)
Playoffs: Beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-2
Semi-final: Beat Fenerbahce 73-57
Ergin Ataman’s Panathinaikos were made to wait to start their first Euroleague Final Four game in 12 years. Crowd control issues resulted in a 27 minute delay before the game got under way.
A strong 12-0 start to the game proved critical to the win for Panathinaikos. While Fener got back in touch regularly, the Turkish side was forced to do all the running. Ataman essentially weaponised rest as his team punched their ticket to the championship game.
Key battles
This begins with the coaches. Chus Mateo has shown a fire in his eyes with Real Madrid this weekend. The one thing we know for sure about him is that he can’t be intimidated. Not that Ergin Ataman will worry about that. He has built this Panathinaikos team into worthy contenders for the Euroleague title and will surely be ready to make quick and regular in-game adjustments.
The back court battle will be huge. While Sergio Llull and Sergio Rodriguez will no doubt be influential for Los Blancos, nobody is more important than Facundo Campazzo. How the PAO trio of Kostas Sloukas, Kendrick Nunn, and Jerian Grant adjust defensively will be vital here.
Up front it will get meaty but Panathinaikos will have to play smart. Their key man, Mathias Lessort, is at a clear size disadvantage compared to Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares and Vincent Poirier. Lessort’s athleticism coupled with the diverse shotmaking of Juancho Hernangomez will be vital to the Greens.
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Need to know
This is the last ever Euroleague game for Rudy Fernandez. The Los Blancos legend will aim to go out on a high with Real Madrid. Sergio ‘Chacho’ Rodriguez is also likely making his last appearance on the big stage.
Ergin Ataman has won three of the last four titles in Euroleague, the prior two being with Anadolu Efes. Chus Mateo meanwhile is coaching in the title game for the third straight season with Real, despite this only being only his second full season as head coach.
Real Madrid hold the all-time title record with 11, including last season, while Panathinaikos have 6 championships but none since 2011.
What the bookies think
It’s almost a mirror image to Friday’s odds for Real Madrid. They are 4/9 favourites according to the sportsbooks while Panathinaikos are good value at 13/8. Chus Mateo’s men at -4.5 favourites on the point spread, something that Ergin Ataman will surely be using as motivation for his players.
The total of 160.5 implies that the sportsbooks expect this one to have a high tempo. That would also mean Real Madrid will be favoured to set said tempo as a more deliberate game would suit Panathinaikos.
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What we think
Panathinaikos have to avoid a repeat of what happened to Olympiacos on Friday night. Ergin Ataman will no doubt have studied that game and worked out what his side needs to do in order to slow down Real Madrid early.
For Chus Mateo it’s a matter of ensuring his bigs don’t make any foolish mistakes. Mathias Lessort is a foul drawing machine and that could spell trouble for Tavares. Still the depth of the Real Madrid roster can’t be ignored. Even when they lose a guy, they have a fine replacement waiting.
The prediction
Panathinaikos will make a game of this but I just can’t see them having the legs in the front court to keep up for the full 40 minutes. Ergin Ataman has enjoyed a fantastic first season with the Greens but lifting the crown with an entirely new roster feels a step too far. For Chus Mateo and Los Blancos, this may be the last dance for this roster. They’ll win it for Rudy.
Pick: Real Madrid -4.5 and OVER 160.5 points
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