By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
When asked what does he think about coming up against Xavi Pascual, Real Madrid head coach Pablo Laso emphasized that the game is played between two teams and not him and his fellow Spanish peer.
“We’ve come up against Pascual many times and he knows us well. But Pablo will not play against Xavi, nor Xavi against Pablo,” said the coach of the “Blancos”. “It’s Real Madrid-Panathinaikos. We have to always be competitive. It’s not crossed my mind that the match isn’t important. All matches are important”.
The importance of Thursday’s (16/3) match, held for the 26th round of the EuroLeague regular season, is rather different for the two teams. One on hand, Real Madrid wants to grab victory no. 20 and remain at the top of the EuroLeague standings.
On the other, the Greens are looking for a win that will get them closer to securing a spot in the playoffs. They are currently tied with Baskonia at the fifth place of the standings with a 14 – 11 record.
Real had won 87 – 84 victory in the first leg game. It was a hard-earned victory, something that Pablo Laso doesn’t forget.
“In the Euroleague all destinations are difficult. Panathinaikos already caused us problems in the first round. They’re a team trying to secure qualification to the playoff and it’ll be a very difficult game. We’re going to have to be ready from the first minute”.