Paris (AFP)
Villeurbanne was no match for the Madrid ogre, defeated 87-77 at the Astroballe on the 17th and last day of the first leg of the basketball Euroleague.
Asvel will not have succeeded in a new feat in front of its audience, where great Europeans like Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and even the title holder CSKA Moscow fell in 2019. Real Madrid, leader of the Euroleague and streaking a twelfth consecutive victory, punished the champions of France with each failure.
The victory of Milan against Zenit Saint-Petersburg (73-72) ejects the club of Tony Parker, present in the stands, from the Top 8 qualifier for the final phase. But for his return to the European elite, the record remains more than honorable with eight wins for nine losses at the end of the first leg and qualification is still in sight at mid-term.
Asvel, still deprived of injured French international back Edwin Jackson, and in the absence of his sick head coach Zvezdan Mitrovic, stood up for almost half the match. Antoine Diot's teammates lost ground just before half-time, the gap dropping in two minutes from 4 points (38-34) to fifteen (52-37).
Dominated in the two snowshoes, trapped by the Madrid address illustrated by Rudy Fernandez (5/5 at three points at the end of the third quarter time): Villeurbanne could never hope to go up. The gap never fell below 10 points in the last quarter, which was controlled by Real.
"The defense fished tonight. We know we have to do more against Real," said captain Charles Kahudi at the microphone of RMC Sport.
Asvel must quickly re-mobilize, with less than 48 hours of recovery before the shock in Monaco, its runner-up in the French championship, Sunday. Friday, another decisive shock to continue believing in the Top 8 in the Euroleague awaits with the reception of the Red Star of Belgrade, which displays the same balance sheet at the end of the first phase.
© 2020 AFP