Trento – Virtus Bologna

Italy – Basketball Serie A, day 3.

Sunday 15/10/23, 18:30 CET

Sprinting in Serie A, trailing in Eurocup: Trento's fans are getting used to this trend. The team approached the championship with the right attitude, showing a solid defense and a consistent mentality in a 7-point game or less - that's how Trento's victories matured. Most of last year's roster has been confirmed, with Paolo Galbiati as the new head coach. The main reinforcements from the transfer window are Alviti (from Olimpia Milano), Baldwin and Hubb: enough to aim for another playoffs season. With the veteran Toto Forray, here since 2011, ready to be once again the clutch player from the bench.

Already one title in the tally, for the renewed Virtus Bologna under the guide of Luca Banchi - best coach of the 2023 World Cup. After the early triumph in Supercoppa Italiana, the team found its way also in Serie A: a tough win in Scafati (81-75) and an easy one against Varese (115-84). With an Euroleague-level roster reinforced by the latest arrivals of Ognjen Dobric (Crvena Zvezda), Jaleen Smith (Alba Berlin) and Bryant Dunston (Anadolu Efes), Bologna are competitively renewing the duel against Olimpia Milano for the leadership of the Italian basketball. Too early to call, but if anything Virtus had a better start. And so far, the bitter goodbye of Milos Teodosic has barely been noticed.

Since the new Virtus Bologna's golden cycle, Trento could never prevail at home. In both last year matches, Belinelli and pals secured the victory in the first half and then controlled the rest of the game. Today the technical gap between the two teams has remained unaltered, if not widened in favor of the visitors. Any potential puzzle? Their heavy schedule: Bologna are already taking the court every two days and this, sooner or later, will carry some weight.