With ten defeats in the last fifteen matches, the Blaugranas are having a bad time both in the Euroleague and in the Spanish championship. They have just failed in Girona (91-90) and in addition to the Argentinian Nico Laprovittola, out for the entire season, they currently have to do without Jan Vesely (9.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18 matches) . Having to deal with the current leader of the Euroleague comes at a bad time for the Catalans.
“They turned out to be a Final Four team,” the coach comments about the Roca Team. “We are in a difficult moment, but we have a good team. If we all assume our responsibilities, we can win. We are Barça, we have talent,” Youssoupha Fall wants to believe. “I’m here to help. I try to give my best inside and out”
In the first leg, Barça won 86-71 with 21 points from Kevin Punter. Obviously, the coach of the Roca Team, Vassilis Spanoulis is cautious:
« Yes, it was intense moments with Barcelona, but I will mainly focus on the match and the result. We have to protect our home advantage, we have three away games next. It’s a big duel. Barcelona needs a victory and we need to keep this same appetite for victory. I know we will be very motivated. Objectively we want to stay at the top of the rankings. It will be a big game, with great players on both ends of the floor. »
Since taking charge of ASM, Spanoulis has guided the team to six wins and two losses, which has allowed the Monaco team to climb to first place in the standings with a record of 13-6 , the best in the league.
“It’s a big challenge for me and for the club,” Spanoulis said in an interview on the Euroleague website. “It’s not easy to arrive in the middle of the season because you haven’t yet established your identity and your philosophy for the summer, but it is what it is. We must move forward. There are many things that we need to change step by step and not change radically; It’s time to put your philosophy and character into the team. The team has already changed some things. I want to see improvement on defense. We have a lot of room for improvement. With the athleticism we have, with the players we have, we can improve considerably on defense.” .»
Only Alpha Diallo is currently missing from the Principality team.
The history of confrontations: 5-3 for Barcelona
EuroLeague 2024-25 : FC Barcelona – AS Monaco 86-71
EuroLeague 2023-24 : FC Barcelona AS Monaco 67-77 / AS Monaco FC Barcelona 91-71.
EuroLeague 2022-23 Final Four : AS Monaco – FC Barcelona 78-66
EuroLeague 2022-23 : FC Barcelona – AS Monaco 80-70 / AS Monaco – FC Barcelona 63-69
EuroLeague 2021-22 : FC Barcelona – AS Monaco 88-83 / AS Monaco FC Barcelona 81-85
