Partizan Seeks First Win at Fenerbahce Since December 2022

The last time Partizan won in Istanbul, the score was 73-72 and the month was December 2022. Aleksa Avramovic hit the winning basket, and Zeljko Obradovic was on the black-and-white bench. Fenerbahce has won the last three meetings between the two clubs in Istanbul, and it also beat Partizan in both EuroLeague games last season.

Tonight at 7:45 PM Partizan makes that trip again. The game is at Ulker Arena in round six of the EuroLeague, and the live broadcast is on Arena Premium 2. The Belgrade side has played five games so far, and this is the second of a double-round week, after Tuesday’s loss to Panathinaikos.

What form is Partizan in?

Joan Penarroya’s team opened the season with three wins, over Olimpia Milano, Paris and Bayern. Then came a loss at Real Madrid, 86-76, and on Tuesday at Belgrade Arena another one to Panathinaikos, 72-55. We wrote about that game yesterday. With three wins and two losses, Partizan is seventh in the standings.

Mozzart Sport blames shooting for both losses: in the last two games Partizan made 7 of 46 three-point attempts. Luka Vildoza is in the worst spot. He was the X-factor in the first three games, and now he has not scored from beyond the 6.75-meter line, missing all nine attempts. Alessandro Pajola, Kyle Allman and Arijan Lakic were no better, and according to the same source Carlik Jones was stopped on Tuesday for the first time this season.

The three wins from the start of the season should still be read with caution, Mozzart Sport says: Armani, Paris and Bayern are not realistically in the fight for the top of the table, so they cannot be put on the same level as Real and Panathinaikos.

What awaits Partizan at Ulker Arena?

Fenerbahce, coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius, has four wins and one loss and sits third. Its only defeat came in Athens against Panathinaikos, 92-74. It beat Dubai 76-66, Bayern 100-76 and Virtus Bologna 86-76, and it also beat Zalgiris 99-80. The sources disagree on the order: B92 reports that Zalgiris was beaten in the previous round, while Novosti lists it as the opening win of the season.

Mozzart Sport warns about the tandem of Wade Baldwin and Talen Horton-Tucker, two Americans who dominate every game, with Shane Larkin as the X-factor. There is also Will Clyburn, who last season, playing for Barcelona, hit a game-winning three-pointer from half court in Belgrade.

Before the game Jasikevicius talked about Partizan and singled out the visitors’ point guard:

“Partizan has started the season excellently. It is a team in which the players’ roles are very clearly defined and which puts exceptional pressure on the ball. Their point guard Carlik Jones makes very good decisions during the game.”

About his own team he said: “We have to focus on this game right away and fight for a second straight win.” Fenerbahce wants to use home-court advantage, and in a double-round week that matters even more.

How much do bookmakers trust Partizan?

Almost not at all. A Fenerbahce win pays from 1.09 to 1.17, while a Partizan win pays 5.90 to 6.50. Mozzart Sport has the game at 1.15 against 6.50.

Panathinaikos left the game with Partizan with a win, but also with an injury. Nikos Rogkavopoulos felt discomfort in a muscle during the game, played nine minutes, scored three points and did not return. Tests showed a strain of the back of his left leg, so Obradovic will not be able to count on him against Hapoel. Panathinaikos is currently the only team with a 5-0 record.

For Partizan the question is the one Mozzart Sport also asks: can it beat one of the strongest teams, and not just those from the bottom of the table? The same source says an interesting game would be no surprise if Partizan finds the shooting form of its first three games. By the numbers, that is the only thing in its hands before 7:45 PM.

The rest of the round is played on Friday: Crvena Zvezda against Paris at 8:00 PM, and Panathinaikos against Hapoel at 8:15 PM.