For the first time in 8 years, the Real Madrid basketball team will take on Crvena Zvezda in full-fledged Euroleague competition. Los Blancos ride high behind some of the league's top performers in Sergio Llull and captain Felipe Reyes, but Zvezda is also thriving under the leadership of Boban Marjanovic. The hostile Kombank Arena gives the Serbian side a strong home-court advantage when they play in the building, and it should be interesting to see how Madrid head coach Pablo Laso and his men will handle the atmosphere at the inception of their Top 16 round.
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Owning perhaps one of the best squads in the Spanish League in both soccer and basketball, Real Madrid comes in with more talent than ever in this segment of the 2014–15 Euroleague. Although coach Laso lost Nikola Mirotic, who has turned into an instant sensation in the NBA, his fan base is backed by the skills of stars the caliber of Sergio Llull, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, and Ioannis Bourousis among others.
Real Madrid easily advanced from the regular season phase, taking the first spot in Group A. Felipe Reyes led a 21-9 charge in the final quarter in the Madrid's most recent outing vs Anadolu Efes, helping the team prevail by a solid 20 points. Back in mid-November, Efes took a nail-biting 75-73 win over the very same adversaries, handing Real Madrid their first Euroleague loss of the season.
Crvena Zvezda Telekom
There are no words to describe how important Boban Marjanovic has been to Crvena Zvezda in their surprising path to Euroleague prominence. The towering center, at 7'3", is the tallest to play in this year's competition (and difficult to miss in the image above), but also one of the best. Marjanovic leads his team and the league in index rating and rebounds, powering its dominance on the glass. Thanks to their star center, Zvezda ranks first in the Euroleague in boards.
Unlike their awaiting opponents', Crvena Zvezda's road to the Top 16 was reasonably tougher. In a group consisting of major European powers such as Olympiacos, Laboral Kutxa, and Galatasaray, they only managed to pull it off by maintaining a good transition game in the final rounds.
Predictions
There is no doubting that Real Madrid will come into the next stage of the 2014–15 Euroleague with newfound determination. Los Blancos have come incredibly close to a trophy in the past two seasons Pablo Laso has held the coaching position, having been the runners-up in both the 2012–13 and 2013–14 editions of the European club competition.
Marjanovic is naturally going to cause problems for Real Madrid's front line, made up of Bourousis, Reyes, and Gustavo Ayon, but the Spanish side simply has too many weapons in their arsenal. Rodriguez, Llull, and Fernandez form one of the most dangerous back courts in the continent, and will keep Marcus Williams' hands full for all four quarters. Zvezda keeps it tight in the first half, but Madrid runs away with the game.
Final Score: Real Madrid 86-78 Crvena Zvezda
