After visiting a EuroLeague match on Tuesday, I got the opportunity to go to the Movistar Arena again on Thursday to see an amazing match. Real Madrid claimed an victory against Monaco, winning 90–78. Sergio Scariolo’s side played dominantly and took revenge for their earlier loss this season in Monaco. Facundo Campazzo was the standout performer, scoring 17 points. Los Blancos now move up to second place in the EuroLeague standings, while La Roca Team drop to sixth.
The game was expected to be spectacular, with the best home team of the season facing the side with the second-most away wins. Real Madrid had won eleven of their twelve games in the Spanish capital, while Monaco already had seven away victories. In addition, both teams entered the match with fifteen EuroLeague wins, with the Spaniards in fourth place and the visitors second.
Scariolo’s team came into the match after an impressive 106–77 victory over EA7 Emporio Armani Milano at the Movistar Arena, securing their sixth consecutive victory. Monaco, meanwhile, were on an eleven-game winning streak in all competitions until last Tuesday, when they suffered a 100–96 defeat against Red Star Belgrade.
Real Madrid started the game strongly, showing sharpness in front of the basket. After just five minutes, the home side had already opened up a nine-point lead. They continued to put pressure on La Roca Team, knocking down five three-pointers in the first quarter. The dominant start resulted in a 23–13 lead at the end of the opening period, with Mario Hezonja contributing ten points.
The team of head coach Vassilis Spanoulis were the top scorers in the EuroLeague before tonight’s match, averaging 92 points per game, but they still couldn’t fight their way back in the second quarter. Real Madrid kept pushing for a bigger lead and once again showed their defensive strength. After conceding an average of 72.3 points in their last three games, Real Madrid limited Monaco to just 31 points in the first half, while scoring 54 themselves.
Monaco tried to play more offensively in the second half, which resulted in some early points for the visitors. Daniel Theis showed his importance by scoring five points. However, after a timeout, the home side regained control of the game. Facundo Campazzo guided his team through this phase, and Real Madrid entered the final quarter with a comfortable 71–53 lead.
In an important last quarter, La Roca Team refused to give up. After several defensive mistakes by Real Madrid, the visitors reduced the gap to just nine points. The atmosphere in the arena intensified as the crowd rallied behind Los Blancos, helping the home side secure the victory: 90–78. Campazzo finished the game as MVP with 17 points, while Trey Lyles also played a key role with 20 points. Mike James was the standout player for Monaco, scoring 17 points.
Real Madrid have now won seven games in a row and will play their next EuroLeague match on Tuesday, when they face Paris. Monaco lose for the second consecutive game and will look to bounce back next Friday at home against Virtus Bologna.
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