Partizan coach: Buducnost is powerful in three-point shooting, but also in defense

Budućnost Voli basketball players have the respect of Partizan ahead of Sunday's derby at the Belgrade Arena (21 p.m.).

The great rivals meet for the first time this season, in the first round of the Top 8 phase - it will be a repeat of last year's final when the "black and white" rejoiced.

However, a lot has changed in Humska from June 2025 to today - the biggest change is certainly the departure of coach Željko Obradović, who was succeeded by Đoan Penjaroja.

"We are facing a very tough game. This is a first-place team from the second group with an extremely high-quality roster. I believe that Buducnost is among the best teams in the ABA League when it comes to three-point shooting, and they also play very solid and disciplined defense," said Peñaroja.

For Partizan, the duel with Podgorica comes 48 hours after the duel with Real Madrid in the Euroleague and the 77:73 defeat.

"I would like the hall to be full and for the fans to give us great support. We are eagerly awaiting the game, but we know that we are facing a serious opponent. Buducnost has been playing at a high level for a long time and has shown a continuity of good games. As far as we are concerned, the most important thing is to recover after the defeat against Real. After such matches, it is crucial that we remain united and get the most out of ourselves," said Partizan defender Arijan Lakić.