The continent’s top club competition gets underway with a matchup against a familiar opponent, the French side, at Príncipe Felipe. Given that the other opponents are Athinaikos, who despite their financial power have never played in the EuroLeague, and Lithuania’s Kibirkstis Viltius, the French team will be the toughest obstacle in this first round.
Bankolé was the star in the most recent matchup against the French side, in last season’s Final Six quarterfinals. Photo: FIBA
Cantero’s team will have the support of the Red Tide in this opening game, making it the ideal setting to claim a win that could prove crucial to the group’s outcome and to their chances of finishing first should there be a second round.
For this game, the Madrid-born coach will have the entire roster available after the team made two road trips last week because of a midweek round in the league. The big wins allowed all the players to see action, helping distribute the physical workload across the roster.
THE OPPONENT: BASKET LANDES
Basket Landes are also in good form, having gone unbeaten in the league after three rounds and won the French Super Cup. Julie Barennes’ team therefore arrive at this first EuroLeague game in excellent shape as well.
The two teams have faced each other three times, all last season. The first two meetings came in the opening round, with the Aragonese side winning in France (70-73) thanks to an outstanding Helena Pueyo, who scored 23 points. However, Landes got their revenge at Príncipe Felipe (63-65). The third meeting was in the Final Six quarterfinals, where Cantero’s team won 53-69 in Ornella Bankolé’s best game in the red jersey, with 16 points to her name.
The French team’s biggest threat is winger Murjanatu Musa, as was the case last year, while Becky Massey and Camile Droguet remain on the roster. They have also added firepower with Trinity San Antonio and Daramy, although Leila Lacan is no longer with the team after moving to Fenerbahçe.
