Direct showdown for first place in the Liga Endesa on Real Madrid’s court 

Valencia Basket men’s team closes a very demanding weekend of road games by visiting Real Madrid’s court (Sunday 18, 7:00 p.m., Movistar Arena, DAZN) in a direct showdown for the top spot in the standings on Matchday 16 of the Liga Endesa. 

The taronja side will need to recover from the effort without reward made on the court of Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul and, less than two days later, will look for a victory that has eluded them in their last seven visits to this venue in domestic competition. Such a win would not only secure their status as a top seed in the Copa del Rey draw but also allow them to approach the final round of the first half of the season in first place.

It will not be an easy task on a court that has historically been the most difficult for them in the Liga Endesa, where the blanco side has lost only two regular-season games over the last 26 months. This season’s previous meetings, however, have gone Valencia’s way, with victories in the Endesa SuperCup final and in the EuroLeague clash at Roig Arena. 

The game not only pits the top two teams in the standings against each other; both contenders are also the highest-rated teams in the competition and among the best offenses in the league. Head coach Pedro Martínez will have his full roster available for this matchup. Valencia Basket begins this round in second place in the Liga Endesa with a 12–3 record.

Rosters

REFEREES: Fernando Calatrava- Arnau Padrós- Igor Esteve