A struggling Virtus falls to Real

Bologna, 13 March 2025 – Difference in motivations, a reshuffled staff, and an opponent who has plenty of motivation instead. The recipe for defeat of Virtus, 67-80, in the challenge with Real Madrid is largely here.

Bianconeri in the game only for the first few minutes, up to that 8-8 was the result of Tucker's individual plays rather than the play of a team that was always struggling physically and in terms of energy.

Unconsciously the black and whites' heads are perhaps already in Naples where on Sunday Virtus will play a tricky head-to-bottom game that is fundamental for their path in the championship, even if credit must be given to Dusko Ivanovic's team for having tried.

In the pre-match, the Juventus patron Massimo Zanetti, together with the president of Sef Virtus Cesare Mattei have presented the commemorative jersey for the 25th anniversary of the Euroleague, worn on the occasion by the Black Vs with the 4 Fs arranged in a cross, “Strong, Frank, Firm, Proud”, the first historic social badge of the Sef Virtus Mother House.

On the field Ivanovic presents a Virtus without Ale Pajola struggling with an ankle problem after his experience in blue and Captain Belinelli who is granted a rest period.

Captain of the day is Cordiner, in quintet with Hackett, Tucker, Shengelia and Diouf. On the other side a Real looking for points to stay in the running for the playoffs, he shows up on the parquet of a Segafredo Arena (7100 people present) with a decent eye-catching presence with Campazzo, Musa, Abalde, Garuba and Tavares.

Virtus only holds out for the beginning of the match, with 6 points from Tucker, with the black and whites holding on until 8-8 in the 4th minute.

The match ends here, Real Madrid takes control of the challenge and with a partial of 0-9 they take the lead 8-17 at 6'. The partial of the blancos extends to 14-28 at 8' as they score 30 points in the first quarter dominating. The inertia of the challenge does not change in the second half of the game which saw the Spaniards controlling the match against a Virtus team that did what its energy allowed at the moment. At half time the match was already over. with Real Madrid having a victory in the bag that confirms them in the running for a place in the top 6. In the second half Real Madrid controls the game and immediately reaches its maximum advantage at +22 (37-59 at 24'), then a few bursts from Morgan and Tucker reduce the gap which never goes below a dozen points. For Virtus it's time to reset and to concentrate on Sunday's challenge against Napoli.

The little table

VIRTUS BOLOGNA 67 REAL MADRID 80 VIRTUS SEGAFREDO BOLOGNA: Hackett, Cordinier 8, Tucker 10, Shengelia 8, Diouf 6; Morgan 11, Holiday 7, Polonara 2, Zizic 4, Akele 4; Grazulis 7, Visconti ne. All. Ivanovic. REAL MADRID: Campazzo 7, Musa 13, Abalde 3, Garuba 10, Tavares 13; Gonzalez, Hezonja 10, Fernando 9, Llull 2, Feliz 6, Ibaka 7; Ndiaye ne. Coach Mateo. Referees: Difallah, Hordov, Sukys. Footnotes: partials 17-30, 33-50, 54-68. Two-point shots: Virtus 22/40; Real 22/38. Three-pointers: 3/20; 5/20. Free throws: 14/14; 21/26. Rebounds: 29; 37.