Well, what was going to be just another European match, without much fanfare in terms of sports, because Unicaja had the virtual pass in its pocket as group champion for the second phase of this BCL 24/25, It has now become, after Saturday in Manresa, a kind of maturity test to test how the team is doing. and what room does this squad have to react after the black night of the Nou Congost.
Unicaja visits the Aliaga Petkimspor court in Türkiye this afternoon (17 hours/101 Television)in search of maintaining their European unbeatenness and, above all, to recover sensations. There is a desire to see the team, which gave a bad image last weekend in the ACB, but which has been showing for two and a half years that it can do almost everything and that it can also aspire to almost everything that is put in front of it.
Without mathematical option to advance to the Round of 16
The first thing to say is that Unicaja will not mathematically certify its pass to the Round of 16 today even if it wins the match in Aliaga. Oostende has two wins in the classification and although Unicaja made it 4-0 in Turkey, with Unicaja-Oostende still pending in Carpena, the move to the next phase cannot be mathematical in this fourth day of the league.
However, it is clear that if Ibon Navarro’s team is capable of attacking the Turkish court, the pass to that Round of 16 would be virtual, since the cataract of results that should occur in the last two days is as utopian as it is improbable. . But mathematics is mathematics and they say that not even winning this afternoon can guarantee that definitive leadership of Group B of the FIBA competition.
BCL Group B Classification. / BCL
Kameron Taylor out for sure
The green expedition traveled yesterday with the loss of Kameron Taylor. The forward remains on the ground due to his knee problems. A sensible loss, but you have to cry with only one eye when you have Barreiro, Ejim, Djedovic or Kalinoski to play in that same position.
The good news is that among the expedition members there is Alberto Díaz, It seems that he is now more recovered from his physical problems and that he could play against the Ottoman team, although there are 13 expedition members, so Ibon Navarro will have to make one more discard, apart from the American forward.
Alberto Díaz, again in the group dynamic. / Unicajab/Photopress-Mariano Pozo
Undefeated leader in Europe
Unicaja’s situation in Europe is enviable. He has a total of three victories in three days and it is a matter of time to be able to celebrate direct access (without play in) to the fight with the 16 best teams in the competition. The composers have shown themselves to be far superior to all their rivals, including this Aliaga Petkimspor who, despite everything, will surely not make things easy this afternoon.
The Turks come into the game with the arrow up, after winning their League on Sunday against Sarunas Jasikevicius’s Fenerbahce. At Carpena they did not give a great image, but it is true that their results throughout the season are good and it is easy to think that they will also be playing in that Round of 16 of the BCL in January.
DeWayne Russell and Breen Tyree are the most important players for Aliaga Petkimspor. Breem Tyree averages 17.3 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist per game, while DeWayne Russell, in addition to scoring (11.7 points), is the best on his team in assists (5.3). In addition, the shooter Wesley Van Beck (12.7 points, 3 assists, 2.3 rebounds) and the physical forward Jordan Wright (5.3 points, 3 rebounds) make the Turkish perimeter dangerous. In the paint, center Jaime Echenique (10 points, 4.3 rebounds) and power forward Peyton Aldridge (7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds) are the main standards of the rival.
Be careful of the time. This time it is earlier than usual, due to the two-hour difference between Malaga time and Turkey time. The appointment is at 5 p.m. Unicaja needs to react.
