Pinar Karsiyaka – Oldenburg

International - Champions League, Group E, Round 2

01/11/2023 - 18:30 CET

So far this season, Pinar Karsiyaka has shown two faces. On their home court, they have won all three games, including wins against Fenerbahce and Turk Telekom. On the road, they have been defeated three times, which is no big shock. Their home court in Izmir is one of the toughest places to play in Europe. The arena is filled to capacity, and the fans are extremely loud. In addition to this, Pinar Karsiyaka has an exceptionally good team this season. They've retained almost all key players from the previous season, such as Errick McCollum, Vitto Brown and Jaylon Brown, and they've added Darrun Hilliard, Kelan Martin and Vernon Carey. With this roster, Pinar Karsiyaka is undoubtedly the third-best team in Turkey in terms of individual talent.

Oldenburg has started the new season in the Bundesliga very well, with a 4-1 record, and their win over Bayern (77:67) at the beginning of October was particularly impressive. Charles Manning is playing at an incredible level, considering that he has played in Serbia for FMP and Metalac in previous years. Ebuka Izundu, who also played for FMP, has joined Oldenburg as their starting center as well. In the offense, DeWayne Russell has the freedom to shine. When he's in the zone, he can score 25 points against any defender, often leading opponents to double-team him or aggressively press. The rest of the roster is mainly composed of players responsible for defensive tasks.

Oldenburg's record in the Bundesliga is much more impressive than their actual quality. Players like Manning and Izundu didn't make a significant difference even in the ABA League, so it's very difficult to imagine them maintaining this performance throughout the season in a competition like the FIBA Champions League. In the first round, Oldenburg lost at home to Strasbourg, and now they will play away against a team that wins against almost everyone on their home court. In basketball, anything can happen on any given night, but if Pinar Karsiyaka remains focused and concentrated, they should be able to resolve this without any drama in their favor.