In their most recent match, Zalgiris Kaunas lost to Bayern Munich 97-82 at home.
The score of Alba Berlin's last match was 93-87. It was traveling in opposition to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Zalgiris has defeated Alba twice in a row. They prevailed 86-66 away from home and 77-71 at home. In the ten previous meetings between these teams, Zalgiris has won seven of them.
The Zalgiris team is currently facing a significant crisis in terms of their EuroLeague performance. Over their last eight games in Europe’s premier basketball competition, they have managed only one win against seven losses. Their struggles have been compounded by three consecutive double-digit defeats, the latest being a 97-82 loss at home to Bayern. With an 11-13 record, they are now tied for 12th place in the standings, raising serious concerns about their ability to turn things around.
Amid this string of disappointing results, pressure is mounting on head coach Andrea Trinchieri, with growing calls for his resignation among Lithuanian fans. While questions remain about whether the current Zalgiris roster has the quality to climb higher in the standings, it’s worth noting that the team started the season strongly before their form began to decline. A major concern is the recent dip in performance from Lonnie Walker, who initially made a strong impression after arriving from the NBA but now appears disconnected from the team.
His struggles were further highlighted in the Bayern game, where he scored just 6 points before suffering a knee injury. On a brighter note, Sylvain Francisco emerged as the standout performer for Zalgiris, scoring 33 points in what was otherwise a one-sided defeat. Zalgiris has repeatedly struggled in the second half of games, a trend that has cost them dearly.
Recent statistics reveal that while they are the best-performing team in the EuroLeague during the first half, they rank as the worst in the second half. This alarming contrast demands serious attention, especially in a competition where games are often decided by narrow margins. Maintaining focus and intensity in crucial moments is vital, but Zalgiris has consistently fallen short in this regard.
Following the loss to Bayern, Andrea Trinchieri expressed his frustration and hinted at potential roster changes. He emphasized that only players who truly deserve to represent Zalgiris will remain on the court, a comment that many interpreted as a direct critique of Lonnie Walker, among others. Zalgiris’s style of play is the slowest in the EuroLeague, which stands in stark contrast to Bayern’s fast-paced approach.
To compete effectively, Zalgiris must control the tempo and limit the number of possessions in the game. Sylvain Francisco has been in excellent form recently, and his past performances against Alba while playing for Bayern suggest he could be a key factor in their upcoming match. For Zalgiris to succeed, they must maintain discipline and focus, particularly in the second half, where their struggles have been most evident.
Alba Berlin loses by 6 points per 100 possessions to Martin Hermannsson, who is the best in this area. This team's incapacity to compete at the highest level is demonstrated by the fact that the majority of the other important players have NET ratings of -10 or worse.
Alba Berlin's chances in this game are based on a high possession game and possibly fast-paced basketball. They could make Zalgiris nervous, which could spread to the audience, if they can get the opponent into their groove. Alba Berlin comes into this EuroLeague match feeling victorious for the first time in a long time, while the opposition is in bad form and discontent is brewing everywhere.
The previous round ended with Alba Berlin winning against Maccabi Tel Aviv through a score of 93-87. Since the start of December Alba Berlin had achieved its first EuroLeague success that ended their 10-game defeat sequence. The team sits at the EuroLeague bottom with 4 wins and 20 losses in the current season. The team’s Bundesliga position ranks worse than any other criterion. Their 7-9 win-loss performance puts them at 14th position below every other team in the league.
Many believe that Alba Berlin faces its problems because the club lacks ambitious policy direction. The fans continuously voice their opinion that the team does not belong in the EuroLeague while the team stays in the competition solely because of their Berlin location. Their terrible results in the domestic league together with their damaging European performance has led fans to express record-breaking levels of annoyance.
During this EuroLeague season Alba Berlin possesses the second-weak defense and simultaneously operates the most inadequate offensive system among all participants. Their fast offensive playrate does not compensate for their low-scoring ranks as they stand second at the bottom for points production. Their offensive performance remains the lowest with a three-point percentage of 30.6% while they generate the most turnovers (15.0) and average moderately in rebound statistics.
Yanni Wetzell led Alba Berlin with 22 points as their top performer followed by Martin Hermannsson who achieved 11 points combined with 11 assists during their last game. Alba managed to score 93 points while accumulating five double-digit scorers due to the weak defensive system of their EuroLeague opponents. Research demonstrates the extent of their competition difficulties through the absence of any player with a positive rating and the poor performances of their team in this tournament.
