Valencia Basket opens its ninth EuroLeague campaign on LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s court

Valencia Basket men’s team begins its ninth participation in the EuroLeague by visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s court (Wednesday 1st, 8:00 p.m., Astroballe, #Vamos), with the moral boost of having started the season by winning the first official title at stake, but also with the accumulated fatigue of being midway through a stretch of five games in eight days. The rotation is limited to the twelve men who have traveled to France, as the team still has four players sidelined with injuries: Xabi López-Arostegui, Jean Montero, Brancou Badio, and Yankuba Sima. Although their record at this venue is clearly negative (2-6), the taronja side managed to break its particular curse at the Astroballe in the 2022–23 season and has won on its last two visits to Lyon. Neal Sako, who returns to the court where he made his EuroLeague debut last year, is among those who could play his first minutes in this competition as a taronja, while Moore, Iroegbu, and Nogués may also make their EuroLeague debuts.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne goes into this game with one fewer match under their belt from the weekend and with the confidence gained from their French League debut, a resounding 115–71 victory over Nancy. After a summer of significant departures, the French team has reinvented itself with interesting bets on its American players such as Seljaas, Harrison, and Watson, while relying on domestic physical presence to strengthen its frontcourt with Vautier, Traoré, and Massa. Another of their signings, Thomas Heurtel, has yet to play a game due to injury.

Pedro Martínez analyzes the game
Head coach Pedro Martínez acknowledged ahead of the game that the taronja team faces this challenge “a bit limited physically. Right now we don’t know if some players who are dealing with physical issues will be able to help us. We know that limits us a little. But we’re going with good spirits, with confidence, to see if we can keep competing well. It’s a very physical team, with players who can really create, players with great passing ability, like Nando de Colo, Harrison. Inside they have size, they can shoot well. I think it’s going to be a very difficult game. We need to go in with a positive mentality, but this is a very long journey, and whether we win or lose, there will still be a lot ahead. There’s no reason to get carried away with joy or get demoralized — there are many games and many months of competition still to come.”

Rosters

REFEREES: Sreten Radovic, Milos Koljensic, Saulius Racys