Watching Barça de Peñarroya is like playing the lottery, the team trapped in its volatility and irregularity. Immersed in a qualifying mud at all in keeping with their pedigree both in the domestic competition and in the Euroleague, with their presence in the playoffs in doubt in both fields, the Blaugrana lurch through the two competitions. Some days, the less common ones, you have to defend constantly and on other days, the majority, your chances of winning are based on individual actions and from the distant and unpredictable three-point line. That is the only formula to counteract the defensive and offensive gaps. And against Red Star the team was once again a coin toss. Unfortunately for the Palau fans, this time it came out tails, the Barcelona fans defeated with a final triple by Davidovac (74-78).
The second project led in the offices by Juan Carlos Navarro has faltered in the first round of the European tournament. Partly excused by injuries, the team still retains the benefit of the doubt while waiting to see if in the second and decisive part of the season all the pieces come together and the necessary solidity emerges to be a contender for titles. But in the first test to measure the evolution of the project, after the Christmas halfway mark, the Blaugrana once again disappointed against the Serbians, now a rival to get into the top eight. In the last European match of a year to forget, it was clear that in 2025 there are many things to improve, starting earlier with Sunday’s duel against Real Madrid.
Punter was fouled in attack and lost a ball at the end for a Barça team overwhelmed by the rival defense
The initial jump gave way to one of the few Blaugrana joys: the return of a Metu who, after two months injured, celebrated his return with two triples and a liberating cry. The American, who added two more points in his next action, caused the first local rush (10-0) and the subsequent visitor timeout. The Balkan reaction came with defensive intensity and Daum who scored two shots from the perimeter. The former Barcelona player Kalinic finished turning the score and the dynamics around. Barça turned into a machine of losing balls, powerless against a rival that clouded Barcelona’s attacks by getting hands on every pass. Petrusev, showing fundamentals in the zone, finished off the good first quarter for Sfairopoulos’ team (15-19).
Barcelona coach, Joan Peñarroya, during the Euroleague basketball game against Red Star.
The start of the second game served to confirm another return, that of Neto, who was injured in his brief debut against Madrid. The Brazilian did not change the face of a Barça that only found relief from the triple. Punter, with two very distant shots, returned a sustained equality with wires. Red Star, which once again enjoyed a good lead (25-32), moved the ball well and had better shooting positions. But the Blaugrana countered the best Serbian staging with flashes, led by Punter and a Palau that pushed to leave everything up in the air at half-time (35-34).
The Balkans, once again ahead on the scoreboard (37-43), returned more connected to the park against a Barça that remained uncomfortable. Metu was once again the degreaser and Vesely supported him with his infallible mid-range shots. Erratic Parker and Anderson, usual sources of points, had no choice for the Blaugrana but to show more defensive aggressiveness in a duel that was already even until the end. But the locals were missing points and Brizuela went to the call with two triples, the second spectacular from his field at the buzzer of the third period (59-56).
The match became the final quarter in a test of competitiveness, a game to which the Serbs are more accustomed
The final quarter was a battle with more contact than success. The match became a test of competitiveness, a game to which Serbs are more accustomed. Hernangómez struggled in the zone and outside players like Parker, Anderson and Punter, each with their own war, struggled to find a shot. A script that led to a heart-stopping ending. Dos Santos put Peñarroya’s team on the ropes with four points in a row and Satoransky, with a triple, left everything to be decided with a minute left. But Palau, who put their usual pressure, collapsed with Davidovac’s triple with 19 seconds left. Punter was in charge of fixing the mess and, however, he made a foul in attack and lost a ball. Two plays that show the drift in which Barça is still immersed.
Technical sheet:
Barça, 74 – Red Star, 78
Barça (15+20+24+15): Satoransky (7), Punter (13), Anderson (2), Metu (16), Vesely (9) -starting five-, Hernangómez (7), Núñez (-), Abrines (5), Parker (6), Neto (-), Parra (3) and Brizuela (6).
Red Star (19+15+22+22): McIntyre (6), Kalinic (12), Davidovac (7), Bolomboy (8), Daum (11) -starting five-, Canaan (-), Mitrovic (-) , Petrusev (17), Giedraitis (2), Dos Santos (9) and Nedovic (6).
Referees: Emin Mogukoc (TUR), Carmelo Paternico (ITA) and Jakub Zamojski (POL). No eliminated.
Incidents: matchday 18 of the Euroleague basketball match played at the Palau Blaugrana before 6,596 spectators.
#Barça #crashes
