Olimpia Milano and Peppe Poeta at a crossroads: the red-and-white coach speaks plainly

Put the crushing loss to Real Madrid behind them quickly and bounce back immediately: that’s the goal for Olimpia Milano, which faces a tough EuroLeague matchup against Dubai on Thursday night at the Unipol Forum. For Peppe Poeta’s team, this is already a very important game at a stage of the season where results have not lived up to pre-season expectations.

Aware of the current difficulties, Poeta has clearly identified the main issue to be resolved: “For us, right now, it’s about playing with intensity and consistency for all 40 minutes. Beyond any technical or tactical discussion, what we’ve lacked so far has been consistency throughout the games.”

They’ll be facing one of the most ambitious teams in the tournament. After making its EuroLeague debut last season, Dubai has raised its game even further with a top-tier roster overhaul and the arrival of Javi Pascual as head coach. The roster features players of the highest international caliber, such as Thomas Walkup, Elie Okobo, and Toko Shengelia, who have joined established stars like Moses Wright, Mfiondu Kabengele, and Dwayne Bacon.

Dubai arrives in Milan with a record of three wins in its first five European games this season and with high morale following its convincing victory in Vitoria. These numbers confirm the competitiveness of a team built to play a leading role. Past results also call for caution from the Scarpette Rosse: last season, in fact, Dubai prevailed in both matchups against Olimpia, winning 99-92 at home and also defeating them in Milan by a score of 96-78.