AS Monaco Basketball suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the final game of the 2024/25 EuroLeague’s first leg. The away game, which ended 94-72, saw the Monaco side come unstuck against the more coordinated and cohesive Spanish team, who topped the league rankings in the 2023/24 season.
Despite a strong start, the Roca Team struggled to keep pace with Madrid’s depth and intensity, leaving Coach Vassilis Spanoulis with plenty to reflect on ahead of their return to domestic competition on Saturday 21st December.
“It’s clear that Real Madrid was better than us tonight and deserved the win,” admitted Spanoulis after the game. “We started too relaxed, and at this level, that’s unacceptable. With that mindset, it’s impossible to expect a positive outcome.”
The game at the WiZink Center in Madrid was always going to be a significant challenge for Monaco. The team came into the matchup missing key players, including Elie Okobo, sidelined due to illness, and Alpha Diallo, who is still recovering from injury. Nick Calathes was also unavailable, though he is expected to return next week.
Despite these absences, Monaco started with energy, with Terry Tarpey showcasing his defensive prowess and Mike James leading the offense.
The two teams were neck-and-neck early on, but Madrid’s physicality and depth soon took over, with Campazzo and Hezonja spearheading a charge that saw the home side pull ahead 29-22 by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter proved to be Monaco’s undoing. Their offensive efforts stalled, and Madrid’s 10-0 run widened the gap significantly. Monaco entered halftime trailing 53-35.
“Offensively, we couldn’t find the right solutions, and it hurt us,” said Spanoulis. “Without Elie [Okobo], the game was too centered around Mike James, and that made us predictable.”
The second half saw little improvement, and Real Madrid extended their lead to 30 points by the end of the third quarter. Although Monaco outscored Madrid in the final period (25-17), the damage was already done.
James, who finished as Monaco’s top scorer with 19 points, acknowledged the team’s difficulties but remained optimistic: “It was a tough game for us. We’re missing key pieces, and we need to do better collectively. This doesn’t change our goals for the season.”
“This defeat doesn’t change who we are or what we’re building,” echoed Spanoulis. “We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”
Monaco will next face CSP Limoges on Saturday 21st December, before resuming their EuroLeague campaign at home against Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Boxing Day.
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Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball