Olimpia Milano-Virtus Bologna, act number 200: the loser is at great risk
Today is the big day of Olimpia Milano-Virtus Bologna, which is the real big match of the LBA. What will be staged at the Forum (2:00 p.m. ball), will be the challenge number 200 in the league. The precedents smile on the biancorossi (113 wins against 86 losses) but, as always, this challenge is a story in itself. L’AX arrives at the challenge gassed by the beautiful victory, in the Euroleague, against the very strong Panathinaikos while the Black Vs lost, at home, the confrontation with the Hapoel battleship (79-74 the final in favor of the team of coach Itoudis).
Coach Poeta has to do without several players. In addition to Mannion, Tonut (out indefinitely with a virus), Diop, Brown, Flaccadori and Sestina, Bolmaro also had to raise the white flag. “We have been in an emergency for a few games now because of the large number of absent players, especially among the Italians, but so far we have almost always managed to throw our hearts beyond the absences especially at home where we have been helped so much by our public. That is what we will try to do against Virtus as well, which has a strong team identity, a well-defined defensive imprint, strong in offensive rebounding and with scorers who can light up at any time and on whom we will have to be very careful”, the words of coach Poeta.
On the other hand, coach Ivanovic emphasized the good test with Hapoel’but he expects a prompt reaction from his boys, especially from Edwards, back from the worst test of his season (only two points on the scoreboard). ” Our goal will be to play 40′ with maximum determination and energy but above all, a high level of attention on every single possession” the words of Virtus Bologna Assistant Coach Jakovljevic.
Many former players on the court and on the bench. Poeta played, for three seasons, at Virtus Bologna. Ricci and Mannion are also former Virtus Bologna players, as is the longtime Dunston. Hackett, one of the pillars of the Bologna team, played for two seasons in Milan, winning the Scudetto in 2014.
