Life is suddenly looking a whole lot rosier for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after a second consecutive win by overpowering Real Madrid 85-76 at the Unipol Forum.

Milan moving on up with two straight wins

A week can be a long time in sports and, just seven days after facing a must-win derby in a state of crisis with confidence on the floor after a bad run of results, life is suddenly looking a whole lot rosier for [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25).

Having ignited its season with a vital victory over Italian rival [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/roster/vir/?season=2024-25) in [Round 7](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-triumphs-in-rollercoaster-derby-ditalia-against-virtus-99-90/), Thursday night saw Milan grab a second consecutive win and improve to 3-5 by overpowering [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) [85-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-downs-real-85-76-for-second-straight-win/) at the Unipol Forum.

It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t always pretty, with both teams struggling to find offensive fluidity and regularly suffering long periods of play without scoring. Milan, for example, managed just one field goal in the opening 5 minutes of the game and could only score free throws in the first 6 minutes of the second half.

Game Videos

But the hosts stuck to their gameplan and persistence paid off, with the team led by Ettore Messina – now back on the bench after missing last week’s double slate of games through illness – ultimately having more than enough to overcome the Spanish side. And it was a valuable victory, leaving Milan looking upwards rather than worrying about climbing away from the foot of the standings.

The chief inspiration was a EuroLeague rookie, [Neno Dimitrijevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/neno-dimitrijevic/006085/), who had been up and down in the opening weeks of the season but shone on this occasion with 22 points on 4-of-6 two-point shooting and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.

The North Macedonian guard, however, was more interested in emphasizing his team’s efforts at the other end of the court, saying: “We are a new team so it will take some time, but this a very important for win for us against a team like Madrid. We held them to 76 points and with all the offensive weapons they have, I think we did an amazing job.”

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard Neno Dimitrijevic spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Real Madrid in Round 8 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Neno Dimitrijevic: 'We did an amazing job'

Milan’s success in downing Real was even more impressive for the fact that it was achieved amid significant injury problems, including backcourt leader [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) and rebounding ace [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/).

But with new signing [Nico Mannion](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/niccolo-mannion/011064/) delivering 11 points and 5 assists on his first appearance for the team after taking part in just two practices, all the signs suggest the Italian team is ready to keep on climbing towards the playoffs places in the next few weeks.

Certainly, with the next challenge for Milan being a trip to face rock-bottom ALBA Berlin at the start of the latest double-round week, there will be plenty of confidence of making it three wins in a row and getting right back in the thick of the playoffs race.

Game News

Coach Messina was glowing in his assessment of Thursday’s triumph, capturing the new-found mood of positivity as he beamed: “The whole team played well. Everybody who stepped on the court helped us and we’re all very happy because we beat Real Madrid, one of the toughest teams in the EuroLeague.

“We have to earn everything every day, but today is a day of light so we’re happy and we move forward.”

It marked the second season in a row in which Milan topped Real at home

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Real Madrid (2024-11-07T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich continued its roll through the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by surviving 77-74 over previous league leaders Zalgiris Kaunas to grab a share of first place with its fifth straight victory. 

Bayern holds off Zalgiris 77-74 to climb atop the table

FC Bayern Munich continued its roll through the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by surviving 77-74 over previous league leaders Zalgiris Kaunas to grab a share of first place with its fifth straight victory. Bayern never trailed though it nearly wasted a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, which Zalgiris cut to 1 point in the closing moments. Bayern moved to 6-2 and 4-0 at home with previous wins over Real Madrid, Paris Basketball and Olympiacos Piraeus.

Carsen Edwards led the way with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Devin Booker shrugged off early foul trouble for 15 points and Andreas Obst chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Zalgiris had won its last five games but dropped to 6-2. Sylvain Francisco poured in 16 of his 20 points in the final 8 minutes but they were not enough and Edgaras Ulanovas picked up 15 points in the loss. Zalgiris’s new addition from the NBA, Lonnie Walker, was scoreless with 8 missed shots and 2 turnovers in 13 minutes.

Bayern went to Booker for the first two scores for a 4-0 lead. At the other end, Walker started the game but missed his first three shots and was subbed out. His replacement Deividas Sirvydis finally got Zalgiris on the board with a three-pointer after more than 4 minutes. Three-pointers from Obst, Shabazz Napier and Edwards left Bayern ahead 16-5 with less than 2 minutes to go as Zalgiris’s offense struggled with absolutely no rhythm. Edwards added another triple and Bayern led 19-6. In the first 10 minutes, Zalgiris made just 2 of 14 shots (1 of 11 three-point attempts) and trailed 19-7. 

Teenager Ivan Kharchenkov started the scoring for Bayern in the second quarter and increased the lead to 14 points. Zalgiris finally started to get some scores with Ulanovas and Dovydas Giedraitis both picking up 5 points and getting the deficit to 26-17. A Sirvydis three-pointer had Zalgiris within 8 points only to see Bayern rush away for the next 6 points and the cushion was 36-22. Zalgiris managed a little push at the end of the first half including a Brady Manek triple to trail 38-28 at the break.

Laurynas Birutis put in the first basket of the second half to once again get the margin to 8 points. Bayern needed nearly 2 minutes to score but Edwards tallied 5 more points and the home side led 45-32. Bayern dominated the offensive glass and got shot after shot after shot. Obst drained another long ball and Bayern was up 50-34. Zalgiris tried to fight back with 2 triples from Lukas Lekavicius but the visitors were still down 58-47 after 30 minutes.

An Obst triple gave Bayern the lead 61-47 to start the fourth quarter. Bayern failed to score for the next 3 minutes and Zalgiris scored the next 7. Francisco knocked down a triple and Ulanovas converted a three-point play and the lead dwindled to 66-62 with under 4 minutes to go. Zalgiris just kept charging back with another Francisco three-pointer and it was 68-67 after a free throw each from Matthew Mitchell and Bryant Dunston. Nick Weiler-Babb and Edwards came up big for Bayern with layups to lead 72-68 with 68 seconds to go. Edwards finished the game with a breakaway layup and 2 free throws in the final 30 seconds - even though Francisco hit 2 more three-pointers in the last 26 seconds. Manek had a chance to force overtime but his three-point attempt at the buzzer was off-target.

Bayern's fifth straight win gives it a share of first place 

FC Bayern Munich v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-11-07T19:45:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball stretched its impressive start in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a thrilling 74-71 home victory against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 7, celebrating its fourth successive win and improving to 5-3 in the regular season.

Paris keeps rolling with gritty 74-71 home win over Partizan

Paris Basketball stretched its impressive start in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a thrilling 74-71 home victory against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 8, celebrating its fourth successive win and improving to 5-3 in the regular season.

In contrast, Partizan dropped to 2-6 and is now on a four-game skid after yet another tough loss in an electrifying atmosphere, with several thousand visiting fans getting behind the Serbia outfit. Nadir Hifi shined for Paris with 17 points and 4 boards, TJ Shorts chipped in with 13 points and 8 assists and Yakuba Ouattara added 11.

At the other end, playmaker Carlik Jones stood out for Partizan with 20 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds, while big man Tyrique Jones racked up 11 points and 10 boards. Captain Vanja Marinkovic sank 16 points but the visiting team’s supporting cast fell well short as lack of balance was again all too obvious.

Partizan raced into a 2-7 lead but Paris hit back with a 17-3 run to close out the first quarter with a 21-16 advantage, denying Partizan a single offensive board while the hosts collected 5 and thus generated a flurry of second-chance points.

A torrid pace to the game produced aggressive and physical defense at both ends, as baskets were hard to come by. Paris led 30-23 in the closing stages of the first half but 6 offensive boards in the second quarter allowed Partizan to slash the deficit to 37-35 at halftime, setting the scene for a fascinating battle after the interval.

The home team again carved out a 5-point lead, 42-37, but Partizan stormed back to surge ahead 46-52 before Paris replied to close the gap to 56-57 at the end of the third quarter. The period ended with a buzzer-beating triple by Ouattara, who was 3 of 4 from deep after shooting 1 of 23 in the opening six games.

Having struggled on offense for long spells, Partizan was kept scoreless in the opening 4:30 minutes of the fourth quarter. Paris took advantage and engineered a 68-64 lead, but Partizan turned the tables to nose ahead 70-71 heading into the final 30 seconds. Paris then forced the final twist and had the last laugh, with Shorts and Mikael Jantunen ice cool from the foul line as they sank the last 4 points of the game, while the visitors missed a pair of tough long-range shots at the other end.  

The EuroLeague debutant notched its fourth successive win while the Serbian team lost its fourth in a row

Paris Basketball v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-11-07T19:45:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan grabbed a second straight win by downing Real Madrid, 85-76, to leave the Spanish team winless on the road. 

Milan downs Real, 85-76, for second straight win

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan grabbed a second straight win by downing Real Madrid, 85-76, to leave the Spanish team winless on the road. Both teams now have 3-5 records.

Milan took control with a 19-4 run to bridge the first and second quarters, and was up 47-40 at halftime. A 9-0 run to start the final quarter left Real reeling, and the hosts cruised home. Neno Dimitrijevic led the way with 22 points, while Zach LeDay provided 17 points plus 8 rebounds and Nico Mannion marked his debut with 11 points and 5 assists. Serge Ibaka and Mario Hezonja paced Real with 13 points apiece, and Walter Tavares had 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Alberto Abalde scored from both close and long-range in the early going, with Leandro Bolmaro’s midrange jumper Milan’s only basket in the first 5 minutes. Bolmaro then hit a corner three for a 7-7 tie, before Gabriel Deck and Dimitrijevic traded inside scores. Sergio Llull struck from deep, but Bolmaro stayed hot and Dimitrijevic hit a triple for a 14-12 Milan lead. Fabien Causeur took over with a three and a fastbreak layup, and Armoni Brooks also added a three before Mannion scored on the first quarter’s last possession to make it 24-16.

LeDay made it a double-digit margin to start the second, before Hezonja and Causeur scored inside. Brooks scored his second three and LeDay added a jumper for a 33-18 lead before Hezonja rescued Real from deep and Eli Ndiaye scored in transition. Free throws completed a 0-9 run, but Dimitrijevic replied with a pair of triples for another double-digit lead, 39-29. Ibaka’s dunk and Xavier Rathan-Mayes’s triple made it closer, but Dimitrijevic replied with a floater for a 47-40 halftime lead.

Tavares started the second half with a dunk, and Rathan-Mayes added a triple to make it 47-45. Mirotic and LeDay got Milan moving from the foul line, before Hezonja and Tavares dunked to make it 53-49. Dimitrijevic rescued Milan with five fast points before Ibaka’s two close-range scores and Mannion’s layup ended a low-scoring third quarter 62-55.

LeDay’s three-pointer gave Milan breathing room with the final quarter’s opening score, and he then added an identical strike to make it 69-55. Brooks’ layup completed an 11-0 burst before Ibaka continued leading Real’s resistance with a triple. Mirotic’s fastbreak layup and another LeDay three made it 78-58, and two more Mannion baskets made the outcome a foregone conclusion long before the final buzzer despite a late Real flurry.

Neno Dimitrijevic erupted for 22 points to lead the home side

ALBA Berlin registered a no-doubt-about-it 92-71 road defeat against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Its signature player, however, could lead ALBA to a much better future in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 


Procida has career-best effort in loss

[ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25) went down [92-71 on the road](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zvezda-bounces-back-against-alba-92-71/) against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25) on Thursday, but left the court with a reason for optimism. Its signature player, [Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/), produced his best game yet. 

Procida had a rough start of the season. Chosen as the [2023-24 EuroLeague Rising Star](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/albas-gabriele-procida-secures-2023-24-euroleague-rising-star-award/), Procida had been off-target until now, averaging just 3.7 points on poor shooting (40.0% 2FG, 15.4% 3FG) and 1.7 rebounds and a PIR of -0.5 in six games. He had registered a negative PIR in four of those games.

Things were different at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, as Procida found his rhythm from the very beginning even though his team trailed from the opening basket. He scored his team's first 9 points on a couple of driving layups, a triple and a pair of free throws. By the time he had a blocked shot, Procida had a PIR of 15 while the rest of his teammates combined for a PIR of -6.

Gabriele Procida ended up setting new career-highs in points (25), rebounds (7) and PIR (34) against.Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 8 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Procida shines against Zvezda

Procida kept going strong throughout the game, showcasing his all-around skills with a couple of dunks and a lot of quality baskets. He ended up setting new career-highs in points (25), rebounds (7) and PIR (34). His previous personal-best PIR was 19 against [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/) on [November 30, 2023](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc-vs-alba-berlin/); Procida almost doubled it, making 7 of 9 two-pointers and 3 of 7 three-pointers plus 3 steals and 2 blocks. He was physical and focused throughout the game.

"Procida is a talented player. He was very aggressive from the beginning and scored most of his points of his team in the first half and the second half," Zvezda head coach Giannis Sfairopoulos said of ALBA's star. 

He stepped up in a tough situation for his team, as ALBA is without [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/), [Matt Thomas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matt-thomas/008967/), [Yanni Wetzell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yanni-wetzell/011934/), [Justin Bean](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/justin-bean/012721/) and [Khalifa Koumadje](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khalifa-koumadje/010791/).

"We did a good effort in the situation that we came here, keeping the game around 10 points and trying to come back but in the end, I think the difference was little bit unfair," head coach Israel Gonzalez said. "I hope to be a little bit luckier with injuries, we lost another two players today. The situation is not getting better."

[Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trevion-williams/012604/) had an all-around strong performance with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 blocks and a PIR of 16 in a losing effort. 

Zvezda took a much better care of the ball, finishing the game with 24 assists and 11 assists. Added to those 18 turnovers, ALBA also had fewer assists than its opponent (20).

With Procida and Williams on the rise, ALBA hopes to bring back some of its injured players soon in the upcoming two-round week against [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25) and [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/roster/mun/?season=2024-25).

The rising star had career-highs in scoring and rebounds

Gabriele Procida has career-best effort in loss

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v ALBA Berlin (2024-11-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade returned to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing ALBA Berlin 92-71 in the Serbian capital in Round 8 on Thursday. 

Zvezda bounces back against ALBA, 92-71! 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade returned to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing ALBA Berlin 92-71 in the Serbian capital in Round 8 on Thursday. Zvezda improved to 4-4 in the regular season standing, breaking a four-game losing streak, while ALBA dropped to 1-7 and remains at the bottom of the standings. 

Codi Miller-McIntyre paced the winners with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Filip Petrusev added 14 points, Nikola Kalinic 13, Isaiah Canaan 12 and Mike Daum and Uros Plavsic had 10 apiece for Zvezda. Gabriele Procida led ALBA with 25 points. Trevion Williams added 16 while Tim Schneider had 10 for the visitors.

Daum got Zvezda going with a reverse layup. Miller-McIntyre added a jumper and a three-point play for a 7-0 lead. Plavsic hit a jump hook and erased Procida's driving basket with a layup for an 11-2 Zvezda lead. Procida kept pacing ALBA, singlehandedly bringing his team within 15-9. Nemanja Nedovic scored in penetration and Milos Teodosic fed Dejan Davidovac for a backdoor layup. Schneider dunked and Luka Mitrovic scored around the basket before Williams's put-back basket got ALBA a bit closer, 21-14. Davidovac scored in transition to boost Zvezda's lead to 23-14 after 10 minutes.

Martin Hermannsson found his first points early in the second quarter. Canaan made a three-pointer, but so did Elias Rapieque and Procida, which caused Zvezda to call timeout at 26-22. Schneider capped an 0-8 run with a put-back layup. Petrusev came through with a two-handed slam. Schneider followed a layup with an alley-oop dunk to bring the visitors closer, 32-30. Petrusev had 4 points in an 8-0 run that Kalinic capped with a layup-plus-foul for a 40-30 Zvezda lead. Louis Olinde rescued ALBA with a layup and then Yago dos Santos fixed the halftime score at 41-32.  

Williams dunked right after the break. After Plavsic and Procida traded layups, Rokas Giedraitis hit a floater. Olinde's put-back layup brought ALBA within 45-38. Williams kept pacing the visitors with a layup but didn't much help. Meanwhile, Kalinic and Miller-McIntyre scored 5 points each in a 10-0 run that broke the game open, 55-40. Williams stayed strong with a layup-plus-foul and Procida matched Plavsic's power basket with a layup. Canaan bettered Williams's floater with a corner triple and Procida took over with a fastbreak dunk that brought ALBA closer, 63-50, after 30 minutes.

Procida find space for an uncontested tip-in early in the fourth quarter. Daum and dos Santos stepped up for Zvezda and after Williams scored down low, Miller-McIntyre and Canaan each found a layup in transition, which led ALBA to call timeout at 72-56. Hermannsson followed Olinde's layup with a three-point play to give ALBA hope at 72-61. Olinde struck from downtown but ALBA struggled to score in the next 2 minutes. Meanwhile, Canaan improved Zvezda's margin to 78-64 79-64 with over 4 minutes lead, enough for the hosts to control the game until the final buzzer.

The hosts led from start to finish in a convincing display

Zvezda bounces back to blast ALBA, 92-71

FC Bayern Munich and Zalgiris Kaunas are in the upper echelons of the EuroLeague standings, but will Zalgiris hold on to first place after Round 8 or could Bayern usurp the Lithuanian side?

The battle for first between Bayern and Zalgiris 

Round 8 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season features the Derby of the Eternal Enemies and a showdown between Spanish powerhouses FC Barcelona and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. But the matchup between the teams with the best records will be Thursday night's showdown between [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/?season=2024-25) and [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/?season=2024-25).

Yes, you read that correctly. Through seven rounds, Zalgiris sits alone atop the standings with just a single loss. Bayern is among four teams tied for second at 5-2.

There are plenty of storylines to this game, including that Bayern boasts the league’s best offense with 88.3 points scored per game and Zalgiris has the league’s stingiest defense with a mere 71.4 points allowed.

But what I find most interesting about this game is the fact that Bayern can welcome the team with the best record in the league – a team whose top scorer ([Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/)) played for it last season and whose head coach (Andrea Trinchieri) was on its bench until the summer of 2023 – to a sold-out SAP Garden without any regrets.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ausverkauft, sold out, Išparduota - whatever you wanna call it, there are no more tickets left for tomorrows <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> game against <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bczalgiris</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/SAPGarden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAPGarden</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYZAL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYZAL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/yRbgZmrfS6">pic.twitter.com/yRbgZmrfS6</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1854165300583043291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In different times, seeing the success that Trinchieri has found with Zalgiris – especially with Francisco leading the way – might be a difficult pill for Bayern to swallow. But today, Bayen can greet these two and give them a tour of the amazing arena that was being built when they left, before hosting a game in which a home win would vault Bayern to the top of the standings.

Among the reasons Bayern has no regrets is that it has found a coaching maestro of its own in former German national team head coach and FIBA World Cup winner Gordie Herbert and a high-scoring playmaker in [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/). There are many reasons for Bayern's strong start to the season, from [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/)'s scoring to [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/)'s inside presence to [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/)'s versatility to [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/)'s veteran leadership, but Napier, despite coming off the bench in all but one game, has been Herbert's right-hand man on the court.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥 Boogie just 𝑫𝑰𝑭𝑭𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑻 at the Garden<br><br>Carsen <a href="https://twitter.com/Cboogie_3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cboogie_3</a> Edwards with 25.3 PPG in the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@euroleague</a> when playing at <a href="https://twitter.com/SAPGarden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sapgarden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HIM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HIM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BoilerBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BoilerBall</a> <a href="https://t.co/wcermQ8u07">pic.twitter.com/wcermQ8u07</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1854207948664226286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bayern, which comes off back-to-back road wins, has aced its three tests at home, with Napier averaging 20.7 points against the trio of Real Madrid, Paris Basketball and Olympiacos Piraeus. And Coach Herbert will hope Napier remains in top form for his showdown with Francisco.

Trinchieri and Francisco will also be looking to shine on their Munich visit. The coach has his name on some of the greatest seasons in Bayern history, including its only two EuroLeague playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022. And Francisco, who will be eager to bounce back from a tough outing against AS Monaco last week, will face a handful of former teammates as Zalgiris’s go-to scorer.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wonder how a EuroLeague away game trip looks like? Watch, Sylvain Francisco will show you. ✈️ <a href="https://t.co/QznO32jgRU">pic.twitter.com/QznO32jgRU</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1854436228965237177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Does the fact that Trinchieri and Francisco know so many of Bayern’s players give them an advantage? Perhaps. But under Coach Herbert, Bayern is playing a different brand of basketball and averaging nearly a dozen points per game more than it did in Trinchieri’s last season there.

On the court, Bayern’s ability to control the glass through Voigtmann and Booker and push the pace through Napier and Weiler-Babb could be the decisive factor, while Zalgiris will rely on a team defensive effort with unsung heroes like [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/), [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/) and [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) playing key roles. [New Zalgiris signing Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/lonnie-walker-joins-zalgiris-kaunas/) is in line to make his debut, too.

At the heart of it all, however, are two teams whose fans can be proud of their fantastic starts to the season. And who should be able to enjoy an intense and exciting Round 8 game.

Both teams have plenty of reasons to be pleased about the decisions that led to them being where they are now

Euroleague.net's team of experts – Javier Gancedo, Geoff Gillingham, Frankie Sachs and Igor Petrinovic – have made their bold predictions for Round 8 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Bold predictions, Round 8: OT drama, an MVP performance and more

The 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season is flying by – we are entering Round 8 already! All eyes are on Greece for the derby, but there are several other intriguing games that will be worth watching across Thursday and Friday.

In the lead-up to Round 8, the [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) experts have each come up with one bold prediction that they believe will happen.

### Real Madrid finally wins on the road

### *by Javier Gancedo*

It has been a rough start to the season for Real Madrid, losing all four of its road games so far. Its last road loss was an extremely bitter pill to swallow as it had a six-point lead over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the penultimate minute and ended up losing at the buzzer to a game-winning shot by Saben Lee. All those road struggles should end for Real this week in what will be a special game to celebrate Sergio Rodriguez, a legend of both clubs. [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) is primed to make the difference at point guard and even though Milan has some people who worked for *Los Blancos* in [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/), [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) and Ettore Messina, Real is set to take advantage of [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/)'s absence and look for [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) down low. It looks like a good matchup for Real, despite playing a good team on a very difficult court. My take is that Campazzo will achieve MVP of the Round honors and Real gets the win at Unipol Forum. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">➡️ ¡Rumbo a Milán! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/6C75PaIEWp">pic.twitter.com/6C75PaIEWp</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1854218123315937449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Bayern to keep on rolling at SAP Garden

### *by Geoff Gillingham*

FC Bayern Munich couldn't have imagined a better start to life at SAP Garden. Gordie Herbert's men are 3-0 so far at its brand-new arena, with Real Madrid, Paris Basketball and Olympiacos Piraeus all having been defeated, and now league-leading Zalgiris Kaunas is coming to town. On Thursday night, I think Bayern will notch its fifth straight victory, having followed up successive triumphs over Paris and Olympiacos by winning back-to-back road games last week. [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) and [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/) have proven themselves to be one of the best backcourts in the EuroLeague, and big men [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/) and [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) are making their presence felt on a night in, night out basis. I also think [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) will have another good game and shut down Zalgiris's threats, spoiling the return of [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and coach Andrea Trinchieri to Munich. My prediction: Bayern's three-point shooting will see it win by double digits.

### The Reds will celebrate in a tight Greek derby

### *by Igor Petrinovic*

The Greek derby is upon us, and it could hardly come at a better moment. Reigning champ Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens comes into this clash on a four-game winning streak, while Olympiacos Piraeus downed Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in a matter of 48 hours last week, both by a double-digit margin. The two Greek giants have played twice domestically this season and split victories. In the last one, Panathinaikos won in Piraeus a fortnight ago. Believing this will be an emotional and a tight contest would not be too bold, but I say that the Greek derby will be so tight that it will be decided by 3 points or fewer – and might even go to overtime. I believe Olympiacos will pull out a statement win at OAKA.

### Maccabi makes it two in a row

### *by Frankie Sachs*

Winless to date on the road, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will finally taste victory this week in Bologna. The Israeli champs are slowly regaining some depth. After [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/) returned to action last week and had his best game yet with the club with 17 points and 7 assists against Real Madrid on Thursday, big man [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/) played his first game of the season in the Israeli League on Sunday. Add to them guard [David DeJulius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/david-de-julius/013250/), who on Monday signed for Maccabi from BKT EuroCup side Aris Midea Thessaloniki, and you have the team's deepest rotation yet this season. Meanwhile Virtus, which is 0-3 at home, has problems of its own in the backcourt with both [Alessandro Pajola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alessandro-pajola/006739/) and [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) missing recent games to injury. The timing is right for Maccabi and wrong for Virtus.

Euroleague.net's team of experts have each made one bold prediction ahead of Round 8 of the 2024-25 season

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-11-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-11-08T19:15:00.000Z)

Fresh off of winning his first MVP of the Month award in the EuroLeague, FC Barcelona star Kevin Punter – October's MVP – visited Euroleague Basketball's brand-new studio and took part in an interview with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo.

Kevin Punter October MVP interview: 'We've got room to grow'

Fresh off of winning his first MVP of the Month award in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/?season=2024-25) star [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) – [October's MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fc-barcelona-kevin-punter-named-october-mvp/) – came to Euroleague Basketball's brand-new studio and took part in an interview with [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)'s Javier Gancedo.

Punter reflected on his incredible start to life as a Barcelona player, with the team 5-2 and the 31-year-old leading the way. He also touched on what is behind his greatness, his late-game heroics at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, and whether Barcelona's goals for the season have changed, among other topics.

The Barcelona forward visited Euroleague Basketball's brand-new studio