The Euroleague enters its first phase, between today and tomorrow the teams will take the field for the first day of the second round and for the two Italians, Milan and Sassari, those against Fenerbahce and Nizhny Novgorod could prove to be already decisive matches in terms of qualification, both in one direction and in the other. The first to take the field will be EA7 who tonight at 21 will receive Fenerbahce in Desio, against whom they had surrendered in the first leg in Turkey with a minimum difference of three points (only the second defeat in 7 meetings).
Speaking of the playing field, Hackett and his companions are forced to move to the Palazzetto del comune a few kilometers from the Lombard capital due to the unavailability of the Forum (Cirque du Soleil), which will be repeated on Thursday 11 December, when there will be another big match against Panathinaikos, due to the final of X Factor. Obviously nothing can be done about it, the commitments have been made for some time and the calendar cannot be changed, but it is a pity that these great challenges cannot have an adequate framework for the importance of the match, above all given that from one year to this part Olimpia brings at least over ten thousand fans to the Forum on these occasions. It must be said that the Pala Desio has already been used twice in the last European season and in both cases two successes came, against Bamberg and Malaga, while in absolute terms also counting the championship, the favorable record is 5-1.
Milan hasn't completely impressed or convinced in the first 5 matches so far, but in the middle of the group they are exactly where, at least, they wanted and should have been, i.e. in fourth position with a balance of 2 wins and 3 losses, but above all they keep Bayern under control and Turow (1-4), the two formations on paper certainly inferior to the Milanese, both beaten and with important discards (the first in Germany and the Poles in the last round in Assago). Among other things, the Germans, certainly the most insidious of the two rivals in a theoretical fight for the last useful place, will play away three times in the second leg and one of the two home games is tonight against Barcelona, points leaders full, while Turow will receive Banchi's team in the final match of the group, when the Poles may already have been cut out of any discussion.
Therefore, EA7's path does not seem to hide too many obstacles, but tonight's match undoubtedly presents itself as an event not to be missed, a real test to see the European level of the Italian champions, to begin to understand which ones can be further ahead the real ambitions of Gentile and his companions, but it could also be the first opportunity (after the internal knockout with Barça) to get his fans back on fire as in the second half of last season (or like four days ago in the derby clearly won against Cantù). But perhaps the most important thing of all will be to see if the progress of Linas Kleiza, the recent ex of the game, who in last Sunday's derby finally began to show the qualities that had brought him to the NBA, and of the other star MarShon will continue Brooks, who had already been the protagonist of some decisive plays in the last quarter stretch in the last Euroleague match.
Opposite, however, will be the battleship Fenerbahce, champion of Turkey and back from another summer of great reinforcements, with the stated aim of reaching the Final Four, after last year's disappointment, and perhaps trying to bring home the first Euroleague in its history (the best results were the playoffs in 2005 and 2008, beaten by Siena). Formation that can count on a theoretically extraordinary offensive potential (so far 82.4 points per game), above all thanks to the inventions of Andrew Goudelock, former Lakers and last year elected Mvp of the Eurocup with Unics Kazan, current top scorer of this Euroleague, an event in which last week, on the Bayern field, he rewrote a new record: 10 three-pointers made in a single game (10 out of 13, with 34 total points). The number one danger is therefore him, but also watch out for the various Bogdan Bogdanovic (the Serbian one, only Bojan's namesake, the Croatian one, last year in Istanbul and now under the Brooklyn Nets), Preldzic and Hickmann, Olimpia's punisher in the playoffs of regrets a few months ago with the Maccabi shirt, in addition to Bjelica, Savas and the Czech ex NBA Vesely, all fundamental elements of a roster of great shooters, but also of great physicality and versatility.
Fenerbahce which up to now has not yet demonstrated its full value, even taking a blow against Panathinaikos, but which in the standings is easily second, paired with the Greeks, with a 3-2 record, with Barcelona first undisputed and with Milan which, by chance, should be the other one to pass. On the bench the usual Obradovic, also this year looking for his ninth triumph in the top European competition and with the fifth different club, after Partizan, Joventut Badalona, Real Madrid and Panathinaikos (5 times).
On Friday it will then be Sassari's turn, at 21 pm at home against the Russians of Nizhny Novgorod, a game that Dinamo must absolutely make their own if they want to continue dreaming of a historic qualification, riding on the enthusiasm that arose following the long-awaited first victory ever in Euroleague arrived seven days ago, at Palaserradimigni in comeback on Zalgiris Kaunas. A success that left the Sardinian club in the last position of the group, together with the Unics Kazan of the former Milanese Langford and Jerrells, at the moment probably the disappointment of this group, while going up we find Nizhny Novgorod with 2 wins and 3 lost and the Lithuanians of Zalgiris with 3 wins and 2 losses, assuming that the Turks of Efes and above all Real Madrid (both 4-1) have already detached half a pass for the Top 16.
Coach Sacchetti's boys arrive at this crucial meeting as best they could, fresh from having scrambled Pesaro in the last round of the championship, where everyone looks at the other with Reggio Emilia and Venice, and with the awareness that the first historic victory of last week is the umpteenth proof of the great work done in the last four years, from the ascent to Serie A to dealing with the biggest European clubs. Qualifying remains very difficult, but now Sassari has three out of 5 matches ahead of it on its field, often a real extra weapon, and starting to win tomorrow's one would increase the conviction that the success with Zalgiris was just the umpteenth intermediate piece in the continuous growth of this company.
