Virtus Bologna – Milano
International - Euroleague, Round 8
14/11/2023 - 20:30 CET
Virtus suffered their most significant defeat of the season last week, losing 100:73 to Real Madrid, revealing that their current record in the EuroLeague may not accurately reflect the balance of power. Their favorable schedule, primarily facing teams outside the top 10, may have contributed to this. Tornike Shengelia is undoubtedly Virtus' brightest spot, averaging 17.6 points and playing a crucial role in his team. Marco Belinelli is experiencing a renaissance under new head coach Luca Banchi, and Jaleen Smith is steadily improving. While Virtus may not be among the top teams in individual talent, they have a clear game plan every time.
Milano demolished Valencia by 83:52 in the previous EuroLeague round but immediately suffered a setback, losing 77:68 to Scafati in the Serie A, indicating an ongoing crisis. Head coach Ettore Messina called out Kevin Pangos, who will no longer play for the team, drawing strong criticism from EuroLeague players like Mike James. Milano possesses defensive quality to slow down any offense in Europe, including Virtus. The offensive struggles are real because ball is moving very slow and everything depends on Nikola Mirotic mood. The return of reliable shooter Billy Baron will improve situation, but until then Stefano Tonut and Maodo Lo will need to shoulder significant minutes in the backcourt.
Traditionally, Virtus and Milano have played low-scoring games in the last two seasons, and the upcoming matchup may follow suit, possibly decided in the final minutes. On paper, Milano have better team, but Virtus left a more favorable impression so far. Players like Mirotic, Melli, Hines, and Poythress can certainly challenge Shengelia and Virtus' frontcourt, making the game ultimately depend on who executes better on open shots. Shavon Shields had a poor game against Valencia, and it's hard to believe he'll have two consecutive bad games given his skill level, potentially tipping the scales in this clash.