Turks take on another Spanish powerhouse. Anadolu Efes vs Real Madrid prediction
Anadolu Efes SK
Real Madrid
Anadolu Efes and Real Madrid will meet on Tuesday, September 29, in the second round of the EuroLeague regular season. The game will be played in Istanbul, with tip-off scheduled for 19:00 Central European Time. I am backing a winner in this matchup.
H2H and statistical facts
- The Turkish side lost the first half in five of their previous seven games.
- Real won the first quarter five times over the same stretch.
- The teams have each won five of their last ten head-to-head meetings.
Anadolu Efes
Anadolu Efes opened its European campaign with a frustrating defeat in Barcelona. The Turkish team looked competitive throughout the game and trailed by just one point at halftime — 44:45. However, the hosts stepped up in the final quarter, while Efes failed to capitalize on its chances at the offensive end. Head coach Pablo Laso specifically highlighted the team’s poor three-point shooting after the game.
At the same time, the defeat was far from catastrophic in terms of the overall performance. Efes scored 82 points while shooting 45.9% from the field, and also won the battle on the boards — 33 rebounds to Barcelona’s 31. The main issue was their outside shooting, with just four three-pointers made from 20 attempts.
Efes made a much more confident start in the domestic league. In the opening round of the Turkish Super League, the team crushed Beşiktaş 95:81 at home. The hosts controlled the game from the opening minutes, won the first half 46:37 and extended their lead to 16 points by the start of the fourth quarter.
As a result, Efes head into the clash with Real having already secured an important domestic victory, which should give the team an extra boost of confidence. The Turkish club will also have home-court advantage. After the loss in Barcelona, Efes will surely place greater emphasis on finishing its chances and will look to prevent its opponents from settling into a comfortable half-court offense.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid were also among the first-round losers in the EuroLeague. The Spanish side traveled to face Dubai and suffered a narrow 77:78 defeat. Pedro Martínez’s team played a closely contested game but could not claim the win down the stretch. For the second consecutive round in Europe, Madrid will be on the road, increasing the workload on the team at the start of the season.
Real looked fairly balanced in the statistics from their opening game. The team shot 45.6% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range, while also grabbing 30 rebounds. However, their opponents dominated the glass, 45-30, which proved to be one of the key factors in the defeat. In Istanbul, Real will need to improve its work around the basket and be more alert against Efes’ physically imposing frontcourt.
Madrid have already opened their winning account in the Spanish league. In the opening round of the Liga Endesa, Real defeated Unicaja 89:87 at home. The team produced a powerful finish, launching a 17:7 run over the final six minutes to erase an eight-point deficit. Théodore Maledon scored 17 points and dished out seven assists, while Facundo Campazzo added 15 points and five assists.
The successful start in the domestic league is important for Real from a psychological standpoint as well. Madrid have already shown that they can turn difficult games around down the stretch, while the individual form of Maledon and Campazzo gives the team serious firepower on offense.
What to bet on?
This matchup looks as close as it gets. Efes have home-court advantage and come into the game off a convincing win over Beşiktaş, while Real have the fresher positive momentum after their comeback victory against Unicaja. At the same time, both teams have already shown vulnerability in the closing stages of their EuroLeague games. I expect a fiercely contested battle that could be decided in the final minutes, and my pick is Real Madrid to win with a +5-point spread.
