Match Preview
Anadolu Efes have an excellent record against Bayern in recent years, claiming six wins in their last six head-to-head meetings. However, the Turkish side have struggled recently and have a couple of important players sidelined, so we could be in for a tight affair on Wednesday.
Anadolu Efes Struggling After Key Injury
Anadolu Efes were hoping for more stability and a cleaner bill of health this season, but they have managed just one victory in their opening four EuroLeague rounds. Their star scorer Mike James also suffered a serious injury that is expected to rule him out for 8 months.
They looked solid in their opener against Barcelona but ultimately lost 89-92, with James and Dario Saric combining for 49 points. Their only victory came in the following home clash against Real Madrid, which they won 94-82, with PJ Dozier starring with 18 points.
Pablo Laso’s side lost their next two EuroLeague encounters, first in Belgrade against Crvena Zvezda 77-72, in the game where James suffered his injury, before being thrashed 89-66 by reigning champions Olympiakos in Greece last week.
Bayern Got One Big Scalp so Far
Bayern were considered big underdogs in the EuroLeague opening round against Hapoel Tel Aviv but claimed an 86-84 victory, with veteran Johannes Voigtmann hitting a three-pointer with ten seconds left on the clock.
The Bavarians were nowhere near upsetting Fenerbahce in Istanbul in the second round, losing convincingly 100-76, mainly due to their poor three-point defence. Duane Washington delivered an impressive performance with 20 points.
They squandered a big lead against Partizan in the third round, having led for 35 minutes before losing 86-84 due to a high number of turnovers (17). Another defeat followed last week, this time at home against Virtus Bologna, who won 94-87. Washington topped the scoring charts once again with 18 points.