© EuroLeague
One win behind third place and only one ahead of ninth place – as the 28th EuroLeague game approaches, the battle for the postseason is becoming more intense. Reaching the knockout phase has now become the declared season goal for Bayern Basketball, and as the German champions currently hold a 16-11 record, they maintain a two-game lead over the teams in tenth and eleventh place. However, their competition in those spots includes none other than Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, both holding a 14-13 record.
These are the numbers that the Munich team will have in mind before their next clash with a direct, equally-ranked competitor: On Thursday evening, the long-sold-out SAP Garden will host a showdown against Serbia’s powerhouse Red Star Belgrade (also 16-11). The game starts at 8:30 PM, and MagentaSport will broadcast it live.
Both Teams at 16-11 Wins
“What a crazy EuroLeague season once again! It seems like we won’t know until the very last game who will be in the playoffs, in the play-ins, or who will miss out,” says FCBB captain Vladimir Lucic about the current situation. “But we have our fate in our own hands, and our mentality should now be to take it one game at a time – and the most important one is the next one. It’s also clear that this is a crucial game for both teams.”
What awaits the injury-plagued Bayern against the fifth-placed team is clear: the most physically dominant team among all 18 EuroLeague clubs. They experienced this firsthand in the first matchup at the end of November, where they fell 77-101 in front of 20,000 Serbian fans. Back then, Bayern still had Devin Booker and Oscar da Silva (both now sidelined with knee injuries), while Lucic and Niels Giffey were already out due to injuries.
Head coach Gordon Herbert now sets the tone for the rematch: "Red Star plays very aggressively and physically, and they are also a very tall team overall. We need to match their physicality and intensity properly while taking good care of the ball offensively. We have to deal with the fact that we are not at full strength, and we have already done a great job managing that when Lucic and Giffey were out for a long time."
Petrusev and Bolomboy Stand Out
The key player for Red Star is former NBA forward Filip Petrusev, who was loaned from Olympiacos in October and returned to his hometown. In the first matchup, Bayern struggled to contain him early, as he scored 25 points (averaging 13.8 PPG).
Red Star currently boasts one of its deepest rosters in years, largely fueled by its fierce domestic rivalry with Partizan, which has driven both ambition and investment.
In addition to the strong Serbian contingent—including returnees Petrusev and Nikola Kalinic (8.5 PPG), as well as Nemanja Nedovic (9.2 PPG)—the team features key contributors like all-around point guard Codi Miller-McIntyre (8.9 PPG, 4.9 APG), sharpshooter Isaiah Canaan (10 PPG), and Joel Bolomboy (10.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG), forming a solid unit under head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos.
"They have a very deep roster with a lot of experience, as well as players and a coach who have already won at the highest level," says former Partizan captain Lucic. "This year, they are especially motivated to make it back to the playoffs after some time. They are having a pretty good season and have already won the Serbian Cup. They will have strong support from their fans again in Munich, and I am looking forward to the atmosphere."
The mentioned Serbian Cup victory came three weeks ago when Red Star defeated Partizan 89-83. However, in the Adriatic League (ABA League), their archrival currently leads the standings with a 19-2 record, holding a two-game advantage over Red Star.