Real heals its wounds with classic victory against Barcelona | Basketball | Sport

The classic is white. Months pass, competitions alternate and players and even coaches change. But the great duel of Spanish basketball continues to fall on the side of Real Madrid. The Madrid team beat Barça in the Euroleague yesterday in the first classic of the season and now there are nine in a row in their favor since Barcelona’s last victory in April 2024. Sergio Scariolo also won the night he relived this duel from the bench 23 years later. Incidentally, his team won for the first time in Europe as a guest after four defeats this season, and in a sitting Palau no less (around 1,000 fewer fans on average than a year ago). Real Madrid recovered the rebound (21-36) and Trey Lyles produced a sublime performance with 29 points. Both giants are tied in the standings with five wins and four losses.

Cards on the table. Shengelia and Tavares, a beacon for each team, started in the first quintet despite doubts about their physical condition. An acrobatic triple by Campazzo at the end of possession opened a fluid exchange of baskets. Tavares’ hammer and Lyles’ beautiful wrist gave the whites their first lead (4-11) while Barça took a while to open up its usual source on the perimeter. It was his inner couple, Shengelia and Vesely, who raised their fists. Peñarroya gave the flight to the recovered Laprovittola and Campazzo welcomed him with a couple of triples in that face-off between the two Argentine guards. Clyburn responded to the challenge with another distant bingo. The duel was played at full speed, more fast than athletic, and the guests added more success to the formula. Maledon keeps the tension high in the Madrid leadership and Scariolo’s team takes the first break with a good advantage (24-34) thanks to a triple kilometer from Okeke’s field. Barça had bled dry in defence.

The dynamite of the treble was whiter than Barça. Real closed the rebound and avoided defeats. Time for the debut of the Ukrainian center Alex Len. Scariolo had used his 12 pieces to maintain the defensive line and give respite to figures like Campazzo. Maledon’s good work allowed the boss to breathe at the wheel and widen the gap (29-44). Barça was resurrected with the fire of Punter and the careers of two old rockers, Shengelia and Clyburn. Madrid contained that spark with the teaching of Campazzo and the tips of the omnipresent Lyles. He thus survives one of those moments of ecstasy in which the Barcelona fans show off their battalion of great shooters (48-58).

Lyles was unforgiving. The great Canadian winger is a goal machine from every angle. Between the former NBA player’s offensive production and Abalde’s blocking on Punter, Real Madrid tightened its control against a Barcelona that took almost three minutes to score a basket. Haste was a bad ally for Peñarroya’s men. And Lyles, without taking his foot off the accelerator (52-68). The number 0 made any defender nervous. Satoransky also lost his nerve and added another technical foul to clear. Inferior in rebounding, Barça was unable to resist Real Madrid’s array of offensive resources (69-85 at the end of the third quarter).

Once again the darkness made Barça’s path steeper. Punter and Brizuela scored three points at a time, an accelerated attack that benefited them when a stronger defense was added (83-92). A reaction that came too late, on the wire, more the result of fervor than basketball. It was enough for Real Madrid to play with their heads to seal their first away win of this season in Europe and for white scarves to appear at Palau.

Euroleague results and standings.