By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
An “El Clasico” full of every kind of excitement someone should expect from a clash of this reputation took place in Palau Blaugrana. Barcelona took the victory in the end by downing Real Madrid 72 – 65, making it 2-0 against its arch-rivals in this season’s Euroleague and now climbing to the third place of Group F.
Stratos Perperoglou played one of his best games with the Catalans’ jersey, finishing the match with 20 points, 6 rebounds, plus making the crucial free throws near the end that sealed the final outcome. Tomas Satoransky had an explosive start with 8 points in 10 minutes and finished with a total of 17. Real Madrid once again relied upon Gustavo Ayon’s consistency, but lacked help from the rest of its stars.
The match had two completely different pictures. On the canvas of the first, a devastatingly dominant Barcelona was ahead of the score 25-4 (yes) after 10 minutes and 39 – 16, a little before the end of the second quarter. On the other, Real Madrid painted a raging comeback after its horrid beginning, completing a 13 – 38 partial score that gave the guests the lead 52 – 54, right in the start of the final quarter. But when all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, the complete image portrayed the victory of Xavi Pascual’s team.
Yet for a moment in the beginning of the fourth period, the momentum clearly pointed towards a win for the reigning champion. With Ayon being a focal point on offense, the Madridistas got a lead of 6, 52 – 58. But that was the point when the switch was once again turned in the hosts favor, thanks to the co-existence of Tomas Satoransky, Joey Dorsey and Stratos Perperoglou on court.
The first, scored consecutive points that balanced the game while the American center controlled the rebounds and filled the gaps in Barca’s defense. Then Perperoglou made a huge basket, plus winning the foul for the 66 – 64, 84 seconds before the end of the game. And when his opponents started to send him to the free throw line, he was cold blooded enough to keep his team’s safe lead until the final buzzer.