By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
An exciting opening week will be followed by the Basketball Champions League Regular Season Gameday 2. It is certainly still early for all 32 participating team, no outcome can be devastating, but a win is a win and can ultimately be important in the final standings.
Four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs following the 14-week regular season. At the moment, half the sides are looking between a 2-0 and 1-1 start, the other half can only hope for a 1-1 BCL W-L record in midweek action on Tuesday (22/10) and Wednesday (23/10).
Day 2 Preview
Group A
Standings
1. SIG Strasbourg 2 (1-0)
2. BAXI Manresa 2 (1-0)
3. Turk Telekom 2 (1-0)
4. Dinamo Sassari 2 (1-0)
5. Lietkabelis 1 (0-1)
6. UNET Holon 1 (0-1)
7. Polski Cukier Torun 1 (0-1)
8. Filou Oostende 1 (0-1)
Turk Telekom was the big winner of Gameday 1 and this week will look to double its positive tally in a match against Dinamo Saassari at the Ankara Arena. Still a long way to go, but a pair of early victories will firmly insert the Turkish club into the playoffs conversation.
In full contrast, UNET Holon will seek to recover following its home defeat to Turk Telekom and the overtime loss in Israel’s Super League making its way to the Versluys Dome to face Filou Oostende. Dario Gjergja’s new-look side is at 0-1 as well, but 4-0 in the EuroMillions Basketball League.
SIG Strasbourg will be in Poland for a tilt with Polski Cukier Torun at the ArenaTorun. Down 1-4 in Jeep Elite Pro A, Vincent Collet hopes to get his team back on track with a second BCL victory. The hosts are 0-1 in the group, but off to a hot 4-0 start in the PLK.
BAXI Manresa will host Lietkabelis at the Pavello Nou Congost in the other Group A affair. Its 1-4 ACB W-L tally coming off four straight defeats is certainly not the best possible, but will have the opportunity to improve to 2-0 in the Champions League and drop the Lithuanian team to 0-2.
Gameday 2 schedule:
Tuesday
Filou Oostende – UNET Holon
Polski Cukier Torun – SIG Strasbourg
Wednesday
Turk Telekom – Dinamo Sassari
BAXI Manresa – Lietkabelis
Group B
Standings
1. AEK 2 (1-0)
2. San Pablo Burgos 2 (1-0)
3. RASTA Vechta 2 (1-0)
4. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 2 (1-0)
5. Teksut Bandirma 1 (0-1)
6. Anwil Wloclawek 1 (0-1)
7. Telenet Giants Antwerp 1 (0-1)
8. EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez 1 (0-1)
The game of the week will take place at the Pais Arena between Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem and AEK. Both sides are already up 1-0 and hope to affirm themselves as Group B favorites with a win. The hosts have a 3-0 Super League record for an extra push over the Queen’s 1-3 start in Greece’s Basket League.
RASTA Vechta tipped off its first European club competition campaign on a winning note and will further its run facing hurt EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez at the Palais des Sports de Pau. The French side was heavily defeated by AEK in the opening week and is coming off the drop to 2-3 in the Jeep Elite Pro A, really needs the “W” here.
A great 4-1 start to its ACB run for San Pablo Burgos can be combined with a 2-0 BCL tally with a home win against Anwil Wloclawek. Igor Milicic’s side is up 4-0 in the PLK, but down 0-1 in the BCL following its away loss to RASTA Vechta, this time around will visit another European newcomer.
Both Telenet Giants Antwerp and Teksut Bandirma will look to get off the mark in the other Group B match of Gameday 2. The 2019 Final Four hosts will have the home advantage at the Lotto Arena coupled by a spotless 2-0 W-L tally in the EuroMillions Basketball League.
Gameday 2 schedule:
Tuesday
EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez – RASTA Vechta
San Pablo Burgos – Anwil Wloclawek
Wednesday
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – AEK
Telenet Giants Antwerp – Teksut Bandirma
Group C
Standings
1. ERA Nymburk 2 (1-0)
2. Iberostar Tenerife 2 (1-0)
3. VEF Riga 2 (1-0)
4. Peristeri winmasters 2 (1-0)
5. Mornar Bar 1 (0-1)
6. Gaziantep 1 (0-1)
7. Nizhny Novgorod 1 (0-1)
8. Brose Bamberg 1 (0-1)
Both Brose Bamberg and Nizhny Novgorod were on the wrong end of their opening week game, will face each other at the Brose Arena aiming to get to 1-1. Up 3-1 in the easyCredit BBL, the German team hopes to prove the loss to ERA Nymburk an early hiccup. The Russian team also holds a 3-1 W-L tally, but in the VTB United League.
Peristeri winmasters and VEF Riga will collide in Greece gunning for a 2-0 Basketball Champions League start. Coming off its overtime road win over AEK, Ilias Zouros’ club wants to build on its momentum stemming from its 4-0 Basket League tally and its opening week comeback victory over Gaziantep.
The Turkish Group C side will be in Prague to face ERA Nymburk that took down Brose Bamberg in Gameday 1. Three straight Super Ligi defeats have pushed Nenad Markovic’s side into a tough position and the hosts will look to add on their opponents early season troubles.
Also, Iberostar Tenerife will go against Mornar Bar at the Sports Hall Topolica. The Montenegrin team hoped for a better outcome at Latvia last week, still has the chance to rebound effectively with a home victory over the BCL regulars that are 3-2 in the ACB.
Gameday 2 schedule:
Tuesday
ERA Nymburk – Gaziantep
Mornar Bar – Iberostar Tenerife
Wednesday
Brose Bamberg – Nizhny Novgorod
Peristeri winmasters – VEF Riga
Group D
Standings
1. JDA Dijon 1 (1-0)
2. Telekom Baskets Bonn 2 (1-0)
3. Neptunas Klaipeda 2 (1-0)
4. Besiktas Sompo Sigorta 2 (1-0)
5. PAOK 1 (0-1)
6. Happy Casa Brindisi 1 (0-1)
7. Cazademont Zaragoza 1 (0-1)
8. Falco Szombathely 1 (0-1)
Big game in Group D between Besiktas Sompo Sigorta and Casademont Zaragoza at Istanbul. The hosts are up 1-0 after the road win versus PAOK and 2-2 in the BSL, but will face a tough challenge with Porfirio Fisac’s team looking for a rebound win following its loss to Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany, The Spanish side will carry a 4-1 ACB record to the Besiktas Akatlar Arena.
The German club will visit Happy Casa Brindisi aiming for its second BCL victory of the young season. The Italian team sits at 0-1 in Group D, but a 4-1 LBA Serie A tally tells a different story Francesco Vitucci’s players will like to expand on at the Palazzetto dello Sport “Elio Pentassuglia”.
Neptunas Klaipeda and JDA Dijon are seeking a 2-0 start, one of the two sides will achieve its goal with a “W” at the Svyturio Arena. The hosts are actually on a four-game LKL losing streak for their 2-4 overall tally, not so great compared to the 4-1 W-L record of Laurent Legnam’s side in the Jeep Elite Pro A.
The other Group D affair features Falco Szombathely hosting PAOK at the Savaria Arena, both at 0-1 after opening week losses. It will be the Hungarian’s team first-ever Basketball Champions League home match.
Gameday 2 schedule:
Tuesday
Besiktas Sompo Sigorta – Casademont Zaragoza
Falco Szombathely – PAOK
Happy Casa Brindisi – Telekom Baskets Bonn
Wednesday
Neptunas Klaipeda – JDA Dijon