The 2025-26 EuroLeague season is already underway, and while it's still early, several first-year players are starting to show signs that they could make a major impact as the competition unfolds.

The Top 10 new faces in the EuroLeague

The 2025-26 EuroLeague season is already underway, and while it's still early, several first-year players are starting to show signs that they could make a major impact as the competition unfolds.

With 20 teams in the tournament, roster depth and flexibility are more valuable than ever. And whether it is players progressing through the European ranks or those making the jump to Europe, some fresh faces are already drawing attention — or are poised to do so soon.

Read more [**HERE**](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1876597/the-top-10-new-faces-in-the-euroleague/).

With two EuroLeague Rounds on the books, Eurohoops presents the new faces that already made a splash, or are expected to do so

Yago back on court for Zvezda, Motiejunas’s debut on hold

A depleted Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade lost a domestic league home game against Zadar 79-85 on Monday night, but a familiar face was back in red-and-white uniform.

Zvezda playmaker [Yago Dos Santos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yago-dos-santos/012044/) made his season debut, playing just under 12 minutes and had 2 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal. Although his debut might not have been an impressive one, and Zvezda lost the game, his return to the floor was much-needed silver lining for the Belgrade team heavily hit by injuries.

Yago is one of Zvezda fan favorites and has played the past two seasons with the club. Over the summer, he was the MVP of the FIBA AmeriCup 2025, where he led Brazil to a gold medal. However, Zvezda decided to revamp its roster this past summer, and although still under contract, Yago was in search for the new club.

But things have gone far from the plan for Zvezda.

[Star signing Devonte Graham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-strengthens-backcourt-with-devonte-graham/) is recovering from a preseason ankle injury, new team captain Ognjen Dobric is still recovering from the injury sustained at EuroBasket 2025, while [Isaiah Canaan is out long term](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-loses-isaiah-canaan-to-acl-injury/) with an ACL injury suffered in the final game of the preseason. And all these are just when it comes to Zvezda’s backcourt.

So the club had Yago join the team, and his playmaking and energy could be just what the team needs since he should not take long to get acclimated, and give Zvezda a boost as it navigates a rough start into the season.

“Yago did his best”, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos commented on his Monday night performance. “He was still with jet-lag. He practiced only two times, and he played the game. We are happy he is here.”

Meanwhile, center Donatas Motiejunas, who arrived late last week on [a three-month loan from AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/donatas-motiejunas-joins-crvena-zvezda-on-loan/), is still to put on a Zvezda jersey.

“Motiejunas’s letter of clearance did not come in time”, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos explained the reasons why Motiejunas only watched this domestic league game courtside.

Veteran center’s arrival was to address the frontcourt issues, with injuries to big men Uros Plavsic, who will be out until at least end of this month, and Jasiel Rivero who will miss several months with a foot injury suffered in a season opener.

That’s in addition to Joel Bolomboy being out at least until January after recovering from last season’s injury.

So, it should not come as a surprise when Sfairopoulos said the team is on the market, looking to add another player.

Zvezda, which started the EuroLeague season 0-2, travels in Round 3 to face the reigning champs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (1-1).

One Zvezda addition made his debut, another one is still waiting and another player might be on his way to the team

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has confirmed the signing of Mehdy Ngouama, who joins to add extra cover following the injury of Shaq Harrison. The length of the contract has not been announced.

Mehdy Ngouama joins ASVEL following injury to Shaq Harrison

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) has confirmed the signing of [Mehdy Ngouama](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mehdy-ngouama/009556/), who joins to add extra cover following the injury of [Shaq Harrison](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquille-harrison/013371/). The length of the contract has not been announced.

Ngouama (1.88 meters, 30 years old) started the season with Gran Canaria, posting 11 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in its Spanish League opener this past weekend.

His arrival comes at an ideal time as, [according to Le Progres](https://www.leprogres.fr/sport/2025/10/06/l-asvel-perd-harrison-sur-blessure-pour-au-moins-un-mois), Harrison will be out until November.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Mehdy Ngouama en renfort 💪<br><br>Pour pallier la blessure de Shaq Harrison, LDLC ASVEL enregistre l’arrivée de Mehdy Ngouama (30 ans, 1m88) en tant que pigiste médical. <br>Finaliste du championnat en 2024 avec Paris, le meneur de jeu arrivé ce lundi à Villeurbanne, va notamment vivre… <a href="https://t.co/OwTa6FMnK1">pic.twitter.com/OwTa6FMnK1</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1975199651780329815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ngouama will make his EuroLeague debut when he steps onto the floor with ASVEL. 

He does, however, have three seasons of experience under his belt in the BKT EuroCup after suiting up for Nanterre (2019-20), Paris Basketball (2023-24), Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2024-25), and Gran Canaria (2024-25). His career averages in the EuroCup stand at 6.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 41 games, all off the bench.

More LDLC ASVEL News

He will appear in his first EuroLeague game when he makes his ASVEL debut

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan will be without Josh Nebo for the next three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Milan's Josh Nebo out for three weeks

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) will be without [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) for the next three weeks with a hamstring injury, the club confirmed on Sunday.

The 28-year-old picked up the knock during [Milan's defeat at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/partizan-holds-on-to-edge-out-battling-milan-80-78/) in Round 2.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">🇮🇹L&#39;Olimpia comunica che nel corso della gara di Belgrado con il Partizan, Josh Nebo ha riportato una lesione del bicipite femorale della coscia destra. Sarà rivalutato in tre settimane<br><br>🇬🇧During the Partizan game in Belgrade, Josh Nebo reported a biceps femoris injury to the… <a href="https://t.co/s4Awf5oWcj">pic.twitter.com/s4Awf5oWcj</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1974817099563307068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Olimpia announces that during the game in Belgrade against Partizan, Josh Nebo suffered a hamstring injury to his right thigh," Milan revealed in a tweet. "He will be reevaluated in three weeks."

Nebo is projected to miss the Little Red Shoes' games against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (October 9), FC Bayern Munich (October 14), Zalgiris Kaunas (October 16), and Valencia Basket (October 23).

More Milan News

He is expected to miss his team's next four EuroLeague games

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Valencia Basket (2025-10-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-10-16T17:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-10-14T18:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v AS Monaco (2025-10-09T18:30:00.000Z)

Episode No. 2 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is a historic one; for the first time in the history of the podcast, the three co-hosts are together in the studio! Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs of EuroLeague.net and Sport 24's Vasiliki Karamouza team up at Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona to go deep on all topics related to fantasy. 

The Fantasy Challenge Podcast: In studio for Episode 2

Episode No. 2 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is a historic one; for the first time in the history of the podcast, the three co-hosts are together in the studio! [Javier Gancedo](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fganchetto&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C8f23c17ba6e24a938a4c08ddff3a0ce8%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638947346960858240%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5ichQZ08%2B4%2BAejvWrkbiWc2ckcGKFSoR6Wz%2Fl3MdtWE%3D&reserved=0) and [Frankie Sachs](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FMrEuroleague&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C8f23c17ba6e24a938a4c08ddff3a0ce8%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638947346960894891%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qhPt96t3ngeIaZ%2FSU%2FA67vi5euxZ5OVn9QfMhhj343M%3D&reserved=0) of [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) and Sport 24's [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C8f23c17ba6e24a938a4c08ddff3a0ce8%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638947346960937569%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RuVg%2FRj%2BbH%2FiJbU%2BYkpXVo6vX%2B39lXvvomI9gNtMJLs%3D&reserved=0) team up at the Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona to go deep on all topics related to fantasy.

The trio talk about the latest EuroLeague news, including what to make of the recent injuries and signings. They review which players have started the season red hot and discuss which players it may be time to start worrying about. And they discuss the status of former MVP Sasha Vezenkov; guess which of them has cut Vezenkov ahead of this week’s games?

Javi, Frankie and Vasiliki, of course, reveal their teams for Round 3 as well and react to comments sent in by Fantasy Podcast viewers. Enjoy this first of its kind episode and best of luck fantasy friends in this week's games.

More EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge News

Javi, Frankie and Vasiliki filmed this week's episode together from the Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona

FC Bayern Munich v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-10-10T18:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Valencia Basket (2025-10-10T18:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Dubai Basketball (2025-10-10T18:15:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-10-10T17:45:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-10-09T19:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Virtus Bologna (2025-10-09T18:45:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-10-09T18:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-10-09T18:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv v Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (2025-10-08T18:05:00.000Z)

Frankie Sachs shares five recommendations for this week's games in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge 

Fantasy tips, Round 3: A handful of value picks

The opening rounds of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/10) season are in some ways the easiest ways and some ways the toughest to predict. Between the time that players are first priced for the game and opening night, some players have clearly earned roles greater than anticipated and enter the season in such great shape that they are easy picks. For others it takes several real games to figure it all out.

In [last week’s initial version of this column](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fantasy-tips-rounds-1-2-back-with-a-major-plot-twist/), my esteemed colleague and Fantasy Challenge podcast co-host Javier Gancedo recommended five players to you. I would say his record should be 1-2-2 (one win, two draws, two losses). He absolutely hit on Moses Wright, who may be one of this season's most valuable centers. Sasha Vezenkov and Sergio De Larrea were solid but not spectacular. De Larrea was outstanding in Round 2, however he opened the season with just 4.4 fantasy points against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Kamar Baldwin and Tarik Biberovic were simply not great recommendations.

Now it’s my turn to sit in the hot seat. Here are five players I think you should consider for Round 3:

### Hamidou Diallo, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (10.9 credits)

It’s been smooth sailing so far for EuroLeague newcomer [Hamidou Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/hamidou-diallo/014086/), who has used his athleticism to get to the basket and score efficiently (73.3% 2FG) and rebound (6.5 rpg.). Are those numbers sustainable? Too early to tell, but for the price, Diallo is worth the risk.

### Tyler Dorsey, Olympiacos Piraeus (9.2 credits)

The number one currency for fantasy is playing time. I can’t say this enough. [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/) is one of five players in the league to feature for at least 30 minutes in the opening two rounds. Moreover, he has made it to the free-throw line 15 times so far. To top it off, he has a moderate price tag.

SHARPSHOOTER I Tyler Dorsey EuroLeague highlights

### Isiaha Mike, FC Bayern Munich (8.0 credits)

Despite joining Bayern late in the preseason, [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) has fit into Coach Herbert’s plans perfectly. He's scored in double figures and made 2 of 3 three-pointers in both games so far, while contributing with 2.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Add in a home game this week and there are lots of reasons to like Mike.

### Saliou Niang, Virtus Bologna (7.8 credits)

If you are not considering the value of the opposition, you are not playing the fantasy challenge properly. Paris Basketball has played at a historically fast pace and through two rounds has allowed more points and PIR than any other team. Enter the uber-athletic and highly-skilled [Saliou Niang](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saliou-niang/012687/). This game should give him extra possessions to stand out with.

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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPQrUOLjaqc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Saliou Niang (@_saliou_niang_)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

### Roman Sorkin, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (9.9 credits)

When it comes to strategy, maximizing turns is key and this week, that means considering players from the Tel Aviv derby between Hapoel IBI and Maccabi Rapyd, which will take place on Wednesday. It is this week's only Wednesday game. Dan Oturu, Antonio Blakeney and Ish Wainright from Hapoel all offer good value, but the player I like – especially for the price – is [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/). He started and delivered nicely in Round 1, but took a step back in Round 2. I believe in him for Round 3.

The excitement continues with Round 3 of the EuroLeague between Wednesday and Friday, with some high-fliers aiming for a 3-0 start while strugglers target a first win. Here’s your look ahead to the action.

At a glance: Three days of EuroLeague fun this week!

The excitement continues with Round 3 of the EuroLeague between Wednesday and Friday, with some high-fliers aiming for a 3-0 start while strugglers target a first win. Here’s your look ahead to the action.

## Wednesday, October 8

### Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (20:05 CEST)

This week’s drama tips off on Wednesday with a local rivalry as a perfect Hapoel (2-0) faces winless Maccabi (0-2) in Sofia, Bulgaria. Dimitris Itoudis’s team has made a stunning start to the season behind the aggressive scoring of Antonio Blakeney, who has made 21-of-23 free-throw attempts in the first two games. Dan Oturu’s power in the paint (15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game) is another challenge for Maccabi, which has struggled for shooting accuracy with just 48.7% of two-point attempts and 32.8% of triples converted so far. Jaylen Hoard has been a welcome exception with 15 points per game, while the rebounding of summer signing Oshae Brissett (6.5 boards per night) will be important to combat Oturu.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have Round 3 coming up later this week!<br><br>Round fixtures by <a href="https://twitter.com/Visa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Visa</a> <a href="https://t.co/8l9fUNCU5v">pic.twitter.com/8l9fUNCU5v</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1975108169165873167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Thursday, October 9

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CEST)

Partizan (1-1) is targeting a second consecutive victory as it welcomes Efes (1-1) to Belgrade. Zeljko Obradovic’s men narrowly secured their first success of the campaign by edging out Milan in Round 2, with last season’s key performers Carlik Jones (15 points and 5 assists) and Sterling Brown (20 points) finding a welcome return to form, and that duo faces a major challenge against Efes’s star-studded backcourt. Shane Larkin has averaged 13.5 points despite not yet making a single three-point shot, a statistic which will surely change soon. Isaia Cordinier has suffered similar woes with just 1 three-pointer on 10 attempts, but Jordan Loyd has settled very quickly, netting 16 and 25 points in his first two games.

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CEST)

Milan (1-1) will enjoy home comforts for the first time this season with a visit from Monaco (1-1). The visitors will hope that Round 2 MVP Nikola Mirotic can continue shine as he returns to face his former team. Milan will have plenty of hunger after narrowly failing in a big comeback attempt at Partizan last week, where summer signing Marko Guduric showed his first signs of becoming a key presence for Ettore Messina’s men with 12 points and 8 assists. A key battle will take place in the paint: Daniel Theis has made an excellent start to the season with 16.0 points per game on 90.9% two-point shooting, while Milan’s Devin Booker will look to make up for the absence of Josh Nebo, who had a strong start to the season but suffered an injury in Round 2.

Nikola Mirotic returns to Milan for the first time.

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CEST)

Baskonia (0-2) will aim for its first victory against a Panathinaikos team (1-1) also determined to bounce back from defeat. Loose defense was the Greens’ downfall in last week’s home loss to Barcelona, when even a stunning performance from Juancho Hernangomez – 27 points and 8 rebounds – wasn’t enough. TJ Shorts will hope to kickstart his season after a slow start, but Panathinaikos can still rely on Kostas Sloukas to lead the offense after his double-double (18 points and 11 assists) in Round 2. Baskonia also needs defensive improvement after allowing 102 points in both the first two games, and will hope for another strong performance from forward Hamidou Diallo after averaging 14 points and 6.5 rebounds in his first two games for the club.

### Paris Basketball vs. Virtus Bologna (20:45 CEST)

A second win of the season is up for grabs as Paris (1-1) welcomes Virtus (1-1). The French team roared to its first triumph with an offense-inspired win at Maccabi, where Nadir Hifi again underlined his enormous scoring potential by draining 21 points. Another key performer for Paris is big man Allan Dokossi, who has grabbed 10 and 13 rebounds in two first two games. On this occasion he will go up against Alen Smailagic, who has made a solid start to his time with Virtus (8.5 points per game). Virtus will try to dominate the backcourt through a deep range of options led by Carsen Edwards, who is looking to extend a 15-game double-digit scoring sequence dating back to last season.

### Real Madrid vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (21:00 CEST)

After lifting its spirits with a vital victory over Olympiacos last time out, Real Madrid (1-1) will look to double up by overcoming ASVEL (1-1). Experienced duo Mario Hezonja and Gabriel Deck have been the key performers for *Los Blancos*, averaging 16.0 and 12.5 points per game, while Facu Campazzo has shown he’ll again be among the league’s top distributors by averaging 6.5 assists in the first two games. ASVEL grabbed its first win by blasting 102 points over Baskonia last week, and American big man Zac Seljaas looks like becoming a key performer by registering 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds over his first two appearances – but now he faces his biggest challenge yet against Real giant Walter Tavares.

## Friday, October 10

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (19:45 CEST)

Winless Zvezda (0-2) will attempt to change that statistic with a trip to Fenerbahce (1-1). The Serbian team must improve defensively after allowing 92 and 97 points in the first two games, while hoping that Jordan Nwora continues his hot streak after averaging 23.0 points and 5.5 rebounds so far. Another key for Zvezda will be the ability of Codi Miller-McIntyre (16 points and 5.0 assists per night) ability to control the tempo in the backcourt, where Fener star Wade Baldwin has made a stellar start to the season with averages of 23.0 points and 7.0 assists. The Turkish team needs more productivity from its big men after Khem Birch and Bonzie Colson netted just 2 points apiece in last week’s loss at Zalgiris.

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Dubai Basketball (20:15 CEST)

In its first home game of the season, Olympiacos (1-1) will look to return to winning ways with a visit from Dubai (1-1). A pleasant surprise for the Reds has been a major upturn in productivity from Tyler Dorsey, netting 21 and 20 points in the first two games, but coach Georgios Bartzokas will be eager to see a collective improvement in long-range shooting with his team making just 28.3% of three-point attempts so far. Dubai leaked 103 points and 27 assists in last week’s loss at Monaco so needs to toughen up defensively, and center Filip Petrusev (14 points and 8 rebounds per night) will be particularly motivated to enjoy a big night as he faces his former club.

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:30 CEST)

Bayern (1-1) is on the hunt for a second straight victory as it faces a visit from high-flying Zalgiris (2-0). The visiting defense will attempt to minimize the threat posed by Andreas Obst, who blasted 9 three-pointers as Bayern defeated Zvezda in Round 2, but Zalgiris is well-placed to subdue his talents after boasting the league’s best perimeter defense with just 26.8% of three-point attempts converted by its opponents. The Lithuanian team’s stunning start has also been propelled by offensive efficiency: Tomas Masiulis’s men have committed just 10 turnovers per night (2nd best in the league) and shown great long-range accuracy including former Bayern guard Sylvain Francisco (13.5 points per game on 55.6% three-point shooting).

### FC Barcelona vs. Valencia Basket (20:30 CEST)

The week concludes with a Spanish east coast derby as Barcelona (1-1) welcomes Valencia (2-0). The Taronjas celebrated the opening of the new Roig Arena by delivering an offensive masterclass to down Virtus last week, with Omari Moore continuing his special start to the season (13.5 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists per game) and teen talent Sergio De Larrea underlining his enormous potential by blazing 23 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting. He will look to exploit the absence of injured Barcelona guard Nico Laprovittola, but the home team will be confident after also scoring 103 points in Round 2’s impressive victory at Panathinaikos, where summer signings Toko Shengelia and Will Clyburn demonstrated their importance to their new team by combining for 40 points and 11 rebounds.

Andy West looks ahead to Round 3 of the 2025-26 campaign

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Rounds 1 and 2 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Rounds 1 and 2

The EuroLeague is back, and the opening week sustained the league’s most prominent trend on the floor: unmatched offensive efficiency.

Stats review: Offensive efficiency in the EuroLeague continues to rise

The EuroLeague is back, and the early returns are, frankly, spectacular.  While a lot of things changed coming into this season, with three teams added to fill the expanded 20-team field, a few coaching changes, and several marquee signings, the opening week sustained the league’s most prominent trend on the floor: unmatched efficiency.

The graph above shows the number of points per-possession scored since the EuroLeague's inception in the 2000-01 season. 

While there was a ramp-up in the seasons following the pandemic, the EuroLeague has hovered around record levels of efficiency for the last three years, finally breaking the record set during the 2017-18 season last year.  Usually, there are some expected bumps in the road early in the regular season as teams build their chemistry and find a rhythm, but Rounds 1 and 2 set a different tone last week as most teams came sprinting out of the gates executing, shooting the three, and taking care of the ball at high levels.  Given the league’s inclination for parity, the roster quality of the clubs joining this season, and the way the league has steadily raised the bar on offensive efficiency in recent years, it is fair to wonder if last season’s record was more of a stepping stone than the boundary the league’s last two major spikes proved to be.

History can only tell us so much beyond the last decade about the next step in the EuroLeague's offensive progression, as the brand of basketball in the first decade of the competition was very different in a few key facets — notably three-point rate and playcalling.  Early on, the league’s numbers usually ebbed and flowed with how effectively teams translated their group phase efficiency into the Top 16. The teams during the 2003-04 season were so good offensively in the second phase that the 47.6% field goal percentage from that year still stands as the EuroLeague record, with the resulting overall efficiency record holding until the 2017-18 campaign. 

That season’s offensive fireworks came on the heels of the EuroLeague's first season of double round-robin play in 2016-17.  The stabilizing effect the league’s current format has had on offensive performance is obvious, but that season saw positive swings in three-point shooting and turnover rate that have continued into the offensive renaissance that has gotten back on track after being derailed for a time by the pandemic.

While its obviously still very early, it is hard to look at the starts of Zalgiris Kaunas under new head coach Tomas Masiulis, Valencia Basket in their return to the league with a new arena, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv on neutral courts with a former MVP leading the charge, and Dubai Basketball with their stellar shooting performance in Round 1 and not wonder just how high the league can fly offensively this year.  There is no guarantee that the explosive offensive play of the first week will carry on at such a high level all year, but the early returns of the 2025-26 season have done little to suggest that we are not, at least probably, watching a historic standard of professional basketball.

Sportradar shines a light on the great scoring efficiency in the opening rounds of the 2025-26 season