Villeurbanne (AFP)

Villeurbanne has made the expenses of the awakening of Fenerbahçe, badly in point since the beginning of the season in Euroleague but broad winner at Friday at the Astroballe, 88 to 72, even without his star Nando De Colo.

The "Fener", the first Turkish club European champion in 2017 and present in the last five Final Four, had won against all odds only two games on its first nine and remained on a shipwreck in Barcelona (-36) forward -Eve.

But the protesters of the legendary Serbian coach Zeljko Obradovic, nine times winner of the Euroleague, have chosen Villeurbanne to show their true value and inflict on the French champion his second straight loss after that of Tuesday against the other club Istanbul , Efes (90-84).

The balance of the ASVEL is now at the equilibrium: 5 wins, 5 defeats before two distant trips to Tel Aviv against Maccabi next Thursday and St. Petersburg against the Zenith the following week. But for the first time this season we really measured what separates ASVEL from the big ones in Europe.

There was indeed little suspense at the Astroballe, where the Villeurbanne had managed several exploits early in their career, especially against the defending champion, CSKA Moscow, two weeks ago. From the middle of the second quarter, the gap has reached 15 points (+12 at the break) and then exceeded 20 in the fourth.

However, Fenerbahçe was diminished by the injury absences of two of his three French: Nando De Colo, the big rookie of the summer came from CSKA Moscow in the wake of his second European title, and Leo Westermann. Only Joffrey Lauvergne (6 points) was on the floor of the Astroballe.

But the Istanbul squad is luxurious with players like Serbian Vladimir Stimac (21 points), American Derrick Williams (17 points), Turk Melih Mahmutoglu (14 points) and American Bobby Dixon (13 points) , a former Villeurbanne (2009-2010). The Czech Jan Vesely, one of the best interiors of the Euroleague, has not even been used.

On the ASVEL side, the American David Lighty limited the damage (18 points) with Livio Jean-Charles (15 points). Charles Kahudi's teammates have been too clumsy and have barely defended to compete.

© 2019 AFP