Two European powerhouses that share 16 Euroleague trophies will face each other this Friday (9:45 pm Israel time, 2:45 pm EST) at Wizink Center in a classic encounter. For Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, the challenge will be massive - defeating Real Madrid after 13 years with not even one away victory over the Blancos.
Oded Kattash can draw some optimism from his team's current form. The Yellows won their last six games and improved their defense dramatically. The challenge on Friday will probably be the size of Real's front line, which will cause difficulty in the battle beneath the rims.
"Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the Euroleague, historically and this season as well", said Kattash ahead of the flight to Spain. "Their size determines a lot of factors and we must be prepared for something we haven't faced yet".
"I feel like we've gotten into a rhythm in the last few games. I think it's our defense that makes the difference", added Jarell Martin. "Once we stop our opponents, everything else naturally falls into place. We trained hard all week to be ready for this game. We know that a win in Madrid will give us a huge boost heading into the second half of the season".
Oded Kattash can draw some optimism from his team's current form. The Yellows won their last six games and improved their defense dramatically. The challenge on Friday will probably be the size of Real's front line, which will cause difficulty in the battle beneath the rims.
"Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the Euroleague, historically and this season as well", said Kattash ahead of the flight to Spain. "Their size determines a lot of factors and we must be prepared for something we haven't faced yet".
"I feel like we've gotten into a rhythm in the last few games. I think it's our defense that makes the difference", added Jarell Martin. "Once we stop our opponents, everything else naturally falls into place. We trained hard all week to be ready for this game. We know that a win in Madrid will give us a huge boost heading into the second half of the season".