Facundo Campazzo And Walter Tavares They shone like the great figures of the Real Madrid in a thrilling duel on day 12 Euroleaguewhich pitted whites against FC Barcelona inside Palau Blaugrana. Thanks to a monumental performance from both sides, the Madrid team secured a heartbreaking victory in 90-97defined after two extensions.
The Argentine leader, with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists (32 PIR), was the architect of the game that marked the meeting. Nine seconds from the end of the fourth quarter, the score was 74-71 in favor of Barça. With the ball in his hands, Campazzo drove across the field and launched a three-pointer from about eight yards out that tied the game and forced the first overtime.
“The game was to try to do something… I was defended by Justin Anderson, who is a great defender, and I wanted to make a divide with Mario Hezonja so that they are confused or dazed. It happened and as soon as I saw the opportunity to shoot, I threw it. He came in…thank God he came in,” Campazzo said. MovistarPlus+ after the match.
The Barça coach, Jane Penarroyarecognized the importance of the moment: “We won the match by half, but Campazzo’s triple… In a situation that we didn’t want, but it is to be credited that he scored.”
For his part, the Real Madrid coach, Chus Matthewhighlighted his team’s mental strength: “Today was a test of mental strength, to see if we could be together and fight until the end, even if things were bad. Today we showed that we had pride and heart.”
Clasico madness
The Palau Blaugrana witnessed an unpredictable Clásico. Barça and Madrid arrived with an uneven dynamic: the Catalans had accumulated two recent European defeats, while the Whites had suffered five consecutive defeats as Euroleague visitors. The game started with Real Madrid dominating, led by Campazzo’s assists and the power in the paint of Tavares, who had 24 points and 18 rebounds for a spectacular 39.
Barça reacted thanks to the brand of Jan Vésélytop local scorer with 20 points, manages to balance the score at half-time (38-34). However, Barça’s offensive lacked clarity in decisive moments, a weakness that Real Madrid took advantage of.
The third trimester marked the awakening of Mario Hézonjawho transformed his painting game to energize Madrid. Despite the efforts of Kevin Needlethe best of Barça with 27 points, the duel reached the last quarter with a minimal advantage for the whites (52-54). In a finale full of tension and constant checks from the referees, the two teams exchanged blows until Campazzo forced overtime with his epic triple.
During the first overtime, the two teams alternated in the lead, but neither managed to score. Abrines missed a free three-pointer that could have given Barca the victory, and Musa missed the decisive shot for Madrid, taking the match to a second overtime. It was then that Chus Mateo’s team imposed its domination. Campazzo led the attack with precision, feeding Tavares and Hezonja, while Barça, without tactical solutions, got lost in forced shots from the perimeter.
NOT TO BELIEVE 😮.
Musa comes out to play the second half with the number 31 – the one he wore last year – while his current number and the one he wore during the first act is 13!#Eurofighters pic.twitter.com/nlKuIucFyS
– Basket on Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarBasket) November 28, 2024
The match also left room for anecdotes. Dzanan Musethe Madrid striker, played the second half with the number 31, the same one he wore last season, instead of the usual 13 this season, which did not go unnoticed on social networks.
On the eve of Barça’s 125th anniversary, the Palau Blaugrana was the scene of a classic that will be remembered thanks to the determination and talent of Real Madrid. With this victory, the Whites end their poor streak of visitors to Europe, clearly showing that when the pressure reaches fever pitch, big players, like Campazzo, are made to shine.
