The teams approach this meeting in sharply contrasting circumstances: Partizan have opened with three convincing wins (over Olimpia Milano, Paris Basketball and Bayern Munich), while Real Madrid have suffered three consecutive away defeats — against Dubai Basketball, Anadolu Efes and Hapoel Tel Aviv. This is Real Madrid's worst start in decades, and the pressure on the team is growing with every match.
Real Madrid
For the first time in their history, Real Madrid have begun a EuroLeague campaign with three consecutive defeats — losing to Dubai Basketball (77:78), then Turkey's Anadolu Efes (84:94), before ending the road trip with a heavy defeat against Hapoel Tel Aviv (98:102), conceding 63 points in the first two quarters of the game in Tel Aviv. After the defeat, head coach Pedro Martínez admitted that the team needed to stop looking for excuses and rebuild their game from scratch — especially in defence, which has looked distinctly vulnerable at the start of the season (at least 94 points conceded).
Partizan
Partizan, by contrast, have taken maximum points from the opening three rounds and belong to a small group of unbeaten teams alongside Valencia, Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce. They have also been solid defensively, conceding no more than 84 points in five consecutive games across all competitions, while posing a threat in attack — averaging 90 points per game, the sixth-highest figure in the competition. Carlik Jones has been the standout performer (18.7 points), scoring 20 points apiece against Olimpia Milano and Paris Basketball. An away trip to Madrid to face a team in crisis looks like a good opportunity for Partizan to extend their winning run and consolidate their psychological advantage.
Real Madrid vs Partizan Prediction
Real Madrid remain last year's EuroLeague finalists and still have a high-quality squad, while history suggests their first home game of the season will give them extra motivation. Nevertheless, three consecutive defeats are a serious indication of defensive problems. The bookmakers make Real Madrid favourites, but Partizan are capable of covering a generous positive handicap and even making this a close contest.
