After three EuroLeague rounds, the standings look almost upside down ahead of Partizan’s trip to Madrid. The Black-and-Whites arrive at 3-0, with two wins on the road, while Real will be looking for its first victory in its first EuroLeague game in front of its home crowd. Those early records, however, say only so much about the matchup.
Real’s 0-3 Record Does Not Tell the Whole Story
Real has never started a EuroLeague season with three losses since 2000-01, when the competition began operating in its current organizational form. All three games came on the road, against Dubai (77-78), Anadolu Efes (84-94) and Hapoel (98-102). Real had the final possession with a chance to win in Dubai, while against Hapoel it came back from a deficit of more than 20 points and even took the lead in the third quarter. Before the EuroLeague season began, Real also won the competition’s Super Cup in Abu Dhabi.
Peñarroya warned against reading too much into the two teams’ records. He pointed to the quality of Madrid’s early opponents, the Super Cup title and the fact that Real will be playing its first EuroLeague home game of the season. The goal, as he put it, is for Partizan to enter the closing minutes with a chance to win.
Partizan’s Perimeter Defense Will Be Tested Again
Partizan will again need the defense that has defined its EuroLeague start. The Black-and-Whites have already shown they can win different types of games, including the one in Munich, where they had to come back from a double-digit deficit. Luca Vildoza, Alessandro Pajola and Kyle Allman give Peñarroya enough ball pressure to disrupt Real’s offensive organization, something that will be particularly important in Madrid against Facundo Campazzo and Theo Maledon.
Under Pedro Martínez, Real is trying to play faster than it did last season, with more early offense and transition opportunities, which could make every Partizan turnover more costly than it has been in previous games. Peñarroya specifically identified pace as one of the changes in Madrid’s game.
Maledon scored 26 points and added seven assists against Hapoel, then led Real past Obradoiro in the ACB only a few days later with 25 points and seven assists. Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot added another 25 in that game, with the French duo carrying much of Real’s offense in a 114-107 overtime win.
If Vildoza, Pajola and Allman can slow Real’s entry into its sets and force Campazzo and Maledon to use more of the clock before creating the first advantage, Real’s next actions become easier to contain. Any early penetration or breakdown of the first defensive line creates room for Tavares around the rim, as well as for shooters when the help defense has to collapse deeper into the paint.
Tavares Creates a Different Kind of Problem
Tavares creates a different kind of problem. Tonye Jekiri and Kevarrius Hayes give Partizan physicality, rebounding and rim protection, but neither has his size or length. Defending Real’s center will not come down only to one-on-one post defense. Partizan will have to limit deep catches, defend the pick-and-roll without bringing too much help from the perimeter and, perhaps most importantly, finish good defensive possessions with rebounds. Tavares had 14 points and 13 rebounds against Hapoel, and Real has already shown how effectively it can punish opponents when given extra possessions.
Peñarroya will again have a shortened rotation in Madrid. Derek Willis and Lamar Stevens are not ready and will not travel, leaving Partizan particularly thin at the forward spots. Real will be without Gabriel Deck, who injured his left shoulder. Pedro Martínez confirmed that the Argentine will definitely miss this week, with further examinations determining how long he will be sidelined.
Thompson’s Game Against Mega Came at the Right Time
That also makes Ethan Thompson’s game against Mega more relevant. Thompson finally produced a performance in the 83-59 win that looked much closer to what Partizan expected from him. He scored 21 points, made six of 11 three-pointers and added seven rebounds. Thompson played just over 30 total minutes across Partizan’s first three EuroLeague games, with clear shooting inconsistency while adjusting to a different level of physicality and defensive pressure. Against Mega, he looked comfortable for an extended stretch for the first time.
Partizan could use another dependable scorer in Madrid. Carlik Jones already carries a large share of the creation, while Vildoza and Allman have responsibilities at both ends of the floor. If Thompson can punish the defense on spot-ups, coming off screens or when Real loads up more aggressively on Jones, Peñarroya has another way to ease the burden on his primary guards. After a modest start in the EuroLeague, Thompson needed a game like the one against Mega.
Thompson himself spoke afterward about adjusting to a different style of basketball, while Peñarroya again stressed that he needs time.
Madrid Has Become One of the Hardest Places to Win in Europe
Real finished the previous EuroLeague regular season with 18 wins in 19 home games and won the final 14 in a row. It then beat Hapoel twice on the same floor in the playoffs, extending its EuroLeague home winning streak to 16 games.
Recent head-to-head history favors Real as well. Partizan last won in Madrid on April 27, 2023, when it took Game 2 of the famous quarterfinal series 95-80 to go up 2-0. Real eventually came back to win the series and has since beaten Partizan in each of their next four meetings in Madrid. Only the 91-75 loss in December 2023 was completely one-sided; the other games showed that Partizan can remain competitive in Madrid even when the final result goes the other way.
Partizan Has to Match Real’s Physicality
Before the trip, Joffrey Lauvergne noted that Real’s players are not the type to be unsettled by the pressure that comes with three losses. Lauvergne and Bandja Sy focused primarily on competing, physicality and the need to match Real’s physical game.
Pedro Martínez is not using the new roster or the early stage of the season as an excuse. He said it is not his place to ask for patience, but that Real simply has to execute better what it has already been trying to establish in practice. After three road games, the first EuroLeague game in Madrid gives his team an opportunity to respond.
Peñarroya has already defined the task: stay in the game long enough for the final few minutes to decide the winner. Against a Real team on a 16-game EuroLeague home winning streak, getting to the final minutes with a chance to win would be exactly the kind of game Peñarroya is looking for.
