Zadar – Mornar

ABA League Round 3

Zadar, October 13, 18:00 CET

The Croatian champions Zadar are much better team than Mornar and will certainly achieve their first victory in the ABA League season on Friday in front of their fans.

In the match of the third round, the team from Dalmacija is a strong favorite, with an excellent chance to win with a double-digit margin. The reason for this is, first of all, the personnel problems faced by the rival from Montenegro.

Zadar is playing much better since the first star, forward Luka Bozic, joined the team in the previous two weeks. The Croatian, who was deservedly the ABA League MVP last season, provides this team with a variety of options in attack, as well as variants of the game in a different attacking pace. In the previous round, in the away defeat against the excellent SC Derby (88:75), Zadar was an equal rival during three quarters, and the improvement in the form of the Croatian team is obvious. Then Alkar was easily defeated 106:73 in the domestic Croatian championship.

On the other hand, it is clear that Mornar completely missed the concept of bringing in foreign players this summer, and for some they already have to look for replacements. This team from the Montenegrin city Bar is in a series of five defeats, and in the last ten games they have only one triumph, in overtime over the weaker rival from Montenegro Teodo Tivat 99:91 in April.

Of those five consecutive defeats in the last games, every time Mornar lost by at least 14 points, and four times it was by at least 26 points! It is clear that, at least this season, the team of experienced coach Mihailo Pavicevic does not have the quality needed to compete in the elite regional ABA league, and that due to the reduced budget it is now extremely difficult for them to bring in quality foreign players.

Mornar has already announced a tough fight for survival in the ABA League, while Zadar's goal is the playoffs. In front of the home fans, the Croatian champions believe that they can beat anyone, even the Euroleague teams, and now they expect a completely routine job.

Last season in Zadar, the home team won 97:77, in a match played in January of this year. Thus ended a series of 11 defeats against Mornar, which until a year ago was a financially significantly stronger club and played in the Eurocup or FIBA Champions League... Now, however, the quality is completely on the side of the best Croatian team, which in advance writes the first victory in the regional competition.