Adam Williams presents his prediction for the EuroLeague match.
The match between Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Barcelona is attracting a lot of attention. This will be Xavi Pascual’s official debut in charge of Barcelona, and we will finally begin to understand what to expect from the squad under his management.
Anadolu Efes
Anadolu Efes’ run of bad luck continues. In the last match, Shane Larkin picked up an injury and will be out for an extended period. He joins PJ Dozier, Rodrigue Beaubois, Georgios Papagiannis and Vincent Poirier on the injury list. Clearly, these absences are very serious for the team, and we doubt that Igor Kokoškov can fully compensate for them.
Barcelona
Joan Peñarroya’s dismissal has had a positive effect on Barcelona. The team have won each of their three games, overcoming tough opponents in Bayern Munich (75:74), Virtus Segafredo Bologna (88:81) and Baskonia (91:83). Veteran Will Clyburn has been particularly eager to prove himself, averaging 16.3 points in that stretch.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs Barcelona Prediction
It is still difficult to know exactly what to expect from Barcelona under their new coach, but we expect them to cope with the depleted hosts. In addition, having Xavi Pascual on the sidelines should further increase the players’ motivation and intensity.
