After a setback and an away defeat to Panionios, the Buducnost Voli basketball team faces a very important match in the Eurocup - Andrej Žakelj's team will host Litkabelis tomorrow (19) at the "Mtel Morača Hall" in the 14th round.
The defeat in Greece last week cost the "blues" dearly, as they took a big step back in the fight for one of the first two places, which lead to the quarterfinals. After the match in Gilfada, Buducnost tied with Turk Telekom (8-5), which they have a better head-to-head record, while Trento, which has defeated the "blues" both times, has one win less, so the Montenegrin champion must defeat Litkabelis, in order not to complicate the fight for home field advantage in the round of 16.
"I think Litkabelis is playing better than in the first part of the season. They have brought in two new players, so we are definitely expecting a demanding match. They are currently in good form - they beat Ulm away and played a quality match against Burg. Like every game in the Eurocup, this one represents a fight for the best possible position in the group," said Budućnost coach Andrej Žakelj.
After the victory over Zadar on Sunday in the AdmiralBet ABA League, Žakelj said that his team has to play much tougher and more aggressively in the rest of the season, and he said this before tomorrow's duel.
"We are playing in front of our own audience, we know our opponent and it is up to us to show much more desire, determination and concentration than in the previous game. That is the only way we can achieve victory," the Slovenian expert pointed out.
Jump control, aggression and energy will be key, believes captain Nikola Tanasković.
"We're facing a tough game against a team that is physically strong and plays very solidly. We have to protect our rim and control their offensive rebounding, because that's where they create a lot of problems. They have great shooters, so it's important that we be full of energy, aggressive and play well," added Tanasković.
Buducnost is playing at home for the first time in 2026, and Tanaskovic called on fans to support the team.
"I invite all fans to come and support us, so that we can turn the game in our favor," concluded Nikola Tanasković.
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