PAOK-Hapoel Jerusalem: The “two-headed team of the North” is looking for a qualification step

Return to the European obligations for the PAOK with a showdown in Pylaia! The “two-headed man of the North” welcomes in Thessaloniki the Hapoel Jerusalem (19:30, Cosmote Sport 4) as part of the 3rd matchday of its groups Basketball Champions League and he wants the pink card to enter the qualifying stage.

The Israelis are at the top of the group with an absolute 2/2, while the “black and white” are tied with Benfica with one win and one loss, while the team that comes out first in the group will qualify directly to the “16” of the tournament, while the other two that will qualify will be in the playoffs.

PAOK comes from the important victory in Patras with 67-54 against Apollon, which raised them to 3-3 and stimulated them psychologically in view of the continuation in Greece and Europe. At BCL level, the Thessalonians after the big “double” in Istanbul against Galatasarai (88-78) came up short against Benfica and lost 94-72.

“It is a very difficult game. Hapoel and Galatasaray are among the strongest teams in the BCL. We started our journey with a great victory in Istanbul. We opened the road under difficult conditions. What we want to do is to walk this road, considering the difficulty of the game, to try to achieve something special. The goal we set at the beginning is something different. The momentum is telling, with Galatasaray on two defeats. The game against Hapoel can increase our chances of qualifying for the next round“, the “black and white” coach said, among other things, in his statements about the match with Hapoel, Fotis Takianos.

Also, the Elvar Fridriksson said about the match: “We expect a very difficult game. We are facing a team that kept quite a few guys, the finalists of last year’s event. That means we have to put in a really good performance and give ourselves a chance to win».

On the opposite bank, Hapoel Jerusalem has entered this year’s event with its foot on the gas. In the premiere, they beat Galatasaray 99-96 in overtime, while they swept past Benfica 84-66, completing the “2 on 2” that has also given them the lead for first place in the group.