The recent consecutive defeats have made things difficult for Real Madrid in the Euroleague. At the end of day 26, except for the shocking defeat, the team will end up in the eleventh position, out of the Play-in posts with a balance of 13-13. Throughout the season, they have been among the first six teams that directly secure the playoffs twice, which shows their inconsistency.
If we look at last season, the first with a play-in, 22 wins were needed to be among the top four and enjoy home court advantage. With 20 wins, they achieved sixth place and classification for the playoffs. A 17-17 record secured a spot in the play-in.
Given these precedents, although this campaign is more balanced, the first objective seems almost impossible, and to reach the second, Madrid would have to win almost all of their remaining games. Currently, they are three wins away from both fourth and sixth place. Teams like Panathinaikos, Red Star, and Bayern are tied, and Monaco can also be, which plays this Friday.
A Difficult Schedule Ahead
The European trajectory of Madrid has become complicated, and now they will have to work hard to achieve many victories. There are eight days left until the end of the regular season, and the next two games will be tough: a classic against Barcelona at the Movistar Arena and a visit to the Panathinaikos champion. Then, they must travel to Bologna, receive Asvel and Armani Milan, fly to Belgrade to face the Red Star, host Paris Basketball, and return to the Serbian capital to finish the season before the party.
The calendar includes complicated away games, such as Athens and the two in Belgrade, where they expect the most intimidating environments of the Euroleague. The team’s away record, 4-9, is the worst among the top 13 classified teams. This fact does not invite optimism, as they may have to play a series without home court advantage to get into the Final Four, although they have achieved this on other occasions.