An unusual day for the Eurocup, but also a chance for the Buducnost Voli basketball players to return to their usual routines, which were interrupted by the Fiba break. Before that, the Montenegrin champion had won 10 out of 11 matches, and it was in Europe that they found a great rhythm.
Due to their great form, as well as their position in the table, Buducnost will play a Group B derby away against Burgos on Friday evening - the match between the teams in the top two positions in the table starts at 7:30 PM.
- It will be a good test, a tough away match. We know that Burg is the leader in our group, so we have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to win - said Axel Butey, the brilliant Frenchman in blue and white.
They can guess in various ways.
For the Buducnost winger, it will be a homecoming, as Bourg is located in the part of France where he was born.
- We are facing a team that is playing very well, with only one defeat throughout the season. They are physically extremely strong and their players can score points in many ways. That is why we are facing a demanding match and we have to be ready for it - added Butej.
One of the more important matches in the Eurocup comes after several Buducnost players had commitments with the national teams, but also after Andrej Žakelj's debut on the Montenegrin national team bench.
- Thursday was the day we had our first full training session, and we will have two training sessions before the game with Burg. There is a certain problem with injuries after the national team games, but that must not disrupt our desire and the way we want to play. We are going to Burg to try to win - Žakelj is clear.
Burg - only one defeat, but with minus 30
Burg's only bad day, or rather nightmare, in Europe came at the end of October when he left Istanbul with a minus 30 (90:60) after the game against Besiktas. He mostly handled all other matches easily, and before the break in the domestic championship he also defeated the Euroleague team Monaco away.
- We will prepare like we do for every game, we know who we are playing against. At the moment, that is the first team in our group - emphasized the coach of Buducnost.
The Slovenian expert knows how difficult a challenge awaits his team, but he believes that Buducnost will also have something to say in the French city on the border with Switzerland.
- This is an athletic team that runs a lot, plays aggressive basketball, with a lot of rebounds and a lot of one-on-one play, so we have a tough task ahead of us, especially away after this break. We have to be tough and show the game we had before the break, but it won't be easy. Burg is one of the best teams in the league, but we also have our own desires and ambitions - concluded Žakelj.
Bourg is at 7-1, Buducnost and Besiktas at 6-2, and the two best teams from the group go directly to the quarterfinals of the Eurocup, so it is clear how huge a victory in eastern France would be.
Bonus video:
