The Buducnost Voli basketball players learned how important home court is in the Eurocup playoffs last year when they said goodbye to Europe in Ankara, but also twice in the last four years when they were defeated in Ulm and Andorra.
To avoid a similar scenario and another 40 minutes of hell away from home, the "blue and white" will have to celebrate in the match of the season, in front of their fans against Burg.
The final round match will be played tomorrow (Wednesday) at "Morača" at 19 p.m., just 48 hours after the tough match with Red Star in the Admiralbet ABA League.
- We need to find additional strength and energy for this match. I am sure that the players will be focused and motivated, the only question is the level of freshness - said Andrej Žakelj, coach of the Podgorica team.
Us for third place, them for first
A victory for Buducnost would bring them third place and a match with the sixth-placed team from the other group (probably Cluj), while a defeat - along with victories for Turk Telekom (over Chemnitz) and Trento (against Ulm) - would send the Montenegrin representative to fifth place. The stakes are huge, but Burg also has its own calculations.
"We all know how important this match is, both for us and for them. They are fighting for first place, and we are fighting for third," Žakelj emphasized.
Burg won the first match of the season, played in France - primarily because they took advantage of many of Buducnost's mistakes. Something that Red Star did on Monday night.
- We will try to prepare as much as possible. This is a team that plays very fast, with a lot of shots and athleticism, and they had enough time to prepare for us. However, we are playing on our home field and I believe that with the help of our fans we will play a good game - underlined the Slovenian expert.
Everything is easier with energy from the stands
Podgorica has hosted two spectacles these days, against Red Star the "blue and whites" ran out of strength in the finish, but the events from the ABA derby must be forgotten.
"We expect a game of high intensity and physical play, with a lot of energy. It will be a tough match, with a lot of contact, in which we want to play aggressively and fight for the win," said James Thompson, center of Buducnost.
The atmosphere against Red Star was great, and even stronger support is expected against Burg.
"We invite the fans to come and support us. With their energy, we believe we can achieve victory," added Thompson.
The future of the Eurocup quarterfinals has not come since 2021 and the matches with Monaco - a triumph over Bourg would open the door for the "blue and whites" to secure a place among the top eight of the second-highest quality European competition.
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