Olimpia Milan looks at Real Madrid’s crisis in front of the Wizink Center and leaves Chus Mateo very touched

He continues to choke while playing away from home Real Madrid. Six matches played away WiZink Center between Euroleague and Endesa Leaguefive defeats and only one victory, the one obtained this Sunday against UCAM Murcia. At the Unipol Forum in Milan, Chus Mateo’s team suffered their fifth defeat in eight matches. [Así hemos vivido la victoria del Real Madrid]

On this occasion, white gave in Olympia Milan (85-76) victim of his own errors. Much of the blame for this new poor result was the lack of success in closing out the defensive rebound. The Italians took advantage of the Whites’ defensive indecision to put the match away at the start of the last quarter, scoring a 22-point lead.

Real Madrid were not comfortable at any point in the match. Chus Mateo’s team always went against the grain and on this occasion it was difficult for them to find Campazzo, Deck, Tavares, Hezonja and company.

Until the last quarter, the match was one of the most balanced. Olimpia Milan had a 15-point lead, but Real Madrid quickly cut it to seven and conveyed feelings that hinted at a possible comeback. Nothing could be further from the truth.

With this new defeat, the Whites are once again stagnating in the Euroleague and have more defeats than victories (5-3). There is still a lot of work to do to get this team back to what it looked like last season.

Uphill from the start

From the start it was clear that this would be a closely contested match in which both teams would have to fight in every action. Real Madrid started with a zonal defense that made the Italian team suffer. However, Chus Mateo’s men once again showed themselves vulnerable to rebounds.

Leandro Bolmaro and Armani Brooks have been the headaches for the Madrid team. To the good successes of the players of the Italian team was added an old acquaintance from the white parish: Fabien Causeur. The Frenchman found his former team and scored five points in a row, achieving the first difference of the match (19-14).

The Olimpia Milan goalkeepers did a lot of damage to Real Madrid who were attacking more and less. The team’s inaccuracies angered Sergio Llull, but Madrid still did not wake up. From the three-point zone, Brooks made it 24-16, ending the first quarter of the game.

“The weak side is rubbish”

Ettore Messina’s men were more engaged in the game and it did not take them long to make the biggest difference of the match, 15 points. Real Madrid managed to stop Mirotić with a big Ndiaye, but they couldn’t find the much-needed Tavares in the White attack.

Chus Mateo changed the timeout system and reorganized the team. “Madrid’s weak side sucks,” said Zach LeDay, who will soon see the Whites reduce the gap on the scoreboard. In the most difficult times, the talent of the best was revealed.

Ndiaye, Mario Hezonja and Campazzo made it 0-8. Nenad Dimitrijevic scored from three to try to stop the streak of a Madrid who were at the best moment of the match. Chus Mateo’s men opened the field and created spaces, managing to reduce the gap from 15 points to 7 with those who arrived at the break, 47-40.

In the third quarter, the Madrid coach proposed an individual defense, thus putting an end to the trials of the first half of the match. Real Madrid left the locker room with the intensity and desire to come back. Tavares with two and Rathan Mayes with three closed the gap to two points. However, from the free kick zone came the points of Olimpia Milan which kept the distance.

The good start to the third quarter faded when Nenad Dimitrijevic undermined the White defense. When Madrid reduced the score, the Italians responded. Ibaka brought his team back to five, but on the last play of the third quarter, Mannion entered the game until the buzzer and maintained the gap of seven with which the third quarter had started (62-55) .

The last quarter of the match was to be forgotten. Two consecutive triples from LeDay made it very difficult for Real Madrid to turn things around. Not because of the score, but because of the game. The players started to get desperate and rush. Three-point shots didn’t go in and there was no organization on defense. Olimpia Milan won 80-58, the biggest difference of the match, 22 points. With the game won, they slowed down and Real Madrid closed the gap until finishing 85-76.