Hard blow for FC Barcelona who found themselves trailing 30 to 38 by Panathinaikos at half-time in the Euroleague. The Catalan stars are struggling to find their rhythm against the Greek defense. Will they manage to reverse the trend in the second half?
It’s a hard blow for FC Barcelona on this Wednesday evening of the Euroleague. While we were waiting for the Catalan stars to turn the corner against Panathinaikos, they found themselves trailing 30 to 38 at half-time in their lair of the Palau Blaugrana. A score which reflects the difficulties encountered by Sarunas Jasikevicius’ men, struggling against the defensive intensity of the Greeks.
A Sluggish Start to the Match for Barça
From the start, we felt the Barcelona players were in poor spirits, like a Nikola Mirotic little success. The choppy pace of the first period, punctuated by numerous mistakes on both sides, did not help the Blaugranas get into the swing of things. Result, a first quarter finished with a delay of 5 points (15-20).
Jerian Grant, Catalan Executioner
On the Panathinaikos side, it’s the American rear Jerian Grant who makes the show. Already 9 points to his credit at the break, with a nice 3/5 shooting including 2/4 behind the arc. His aggressiveness wreaked havoc on the Catalan defense, forcing Jasikevicius to make multiple adjustments. In vain for the moment.
Other worrying signals for the locals: the faults quickly accumulated by Jan Vesely et Sertac Sanli in the interior sector. This limits rotations and forces the coach to tinker with his bench.
Mute Barcelona Leaders
The usual executives are struggling to stand out among the Blaugranas. Cory Higgins is clumsy (0/3 shooting), while Nick Calathesyet so valuable to creation, only delivered one assist in 11 minutes. It will take a burst of pride from the captains in the second half to hope to turn the tide.
Despite these alarming signals, nothing is lost for FC Barcelona. A deficit of 8 points at the break is far from insurmountable at home. But this will require collective awareness and an awakening of the stars, from Mirotic to Higgins. See you in a few minutes for the start of the third quarter, which promises to be crucial in this meeting!
