PARTIZAN – VALENCIA: Black-and-Whites Chase Fifth Consecutive EuroLeague Victory

Pulse Sports Team 19:35 - 27 March 2026

Partizan and Valencia will face off at 8:30 PM CET in the Belgrade Arena for Round 34 of the EuroLeague. You can follow the live action from the largest arena in our region on Sportal.

Partizan holds a 13-20 record and is out of playoff contention.
Valencia is fourth in the standings with a 21-12 record.
Valencia won the first head-to-head match-up this season, triumphing 86:73.

Partizan vs. Valencia (Tip-off at 8:30 PM CET)

Match Preview

Partizan has strung together four consecutive EuroLeague victories, with the latest coming this Tuesday against ASVEL in a thrilling 79:78 finish. Valencia also secured a narrow win in their last outing, defeating Olympiacos 85:84, after previously losing to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, these teams are far from being in similar positions. The Spanish squad sits fourth in the standings with a 21-12 record, while the Serbian representative is 16th with a 13-20 record, making them out of contention for the tournament's continuation.

These two teams first met this season in December, with Valencia securing an 86:73 home victory. In previous encounters, Partizan bested their rivals twice last season, while Valencia had the upper hand the year before.

Who's Officiating Partizan vs. Valencia?

The EuroLeague has appointed the following officiating trio for this match: Ukrainian Boris Ryzhyk will be the head referee, assisted by Lithuanian Arturas Sukys and Frenchman Toma Bisuel.

Valencia Short-Handed

Valencia's Jean Montero will miss this game due to injury, the Spanish club announced. The statement noted that Montero injured his right hand two days ago during the EuroLeague Round 33 game against Olympiacos (85:84). Valencia also stated that Xabi Lopez-Arostegui will miss the Partizan match due to a hamstring muscle injury. Coach Pedro Martinez currently has 13 players available.

Partizan Also Facing Issues

As for the 'Steamroller,' Dewayne Washington is still recovering, while coach Joan Peñarroya was unsure the day before the game if center Tonye Jekiri, who was injured in Tuesday's game against ASVEL, would be available. The coach stated that the situation isn't severe, but his participation is uncertain.

Black-and-Whites Unanimously Declare: We Must Slow Them Down

Black-and-whites coach Joan Peñarroya highlighted the opponent's fast-paced play ahead of the duel.

Valencia is having an incredible, truly incredible season in both the EuroLeague and the ACB League. They play at a very high tempo. Along with Paris, they are one of the two fastest teams, playing extremely quickly with many talented players. It's very difficult to control the pace of that game, and... it will be a tough match because they are playing excellently and fighting to finish the season among the top four teams.Joan Peñarroya

He added that his team would try to slow down the visitors.

We will try to play tough defense and be good on offense to prevent them from running after rebounds or bad shots and to stop transition situations. We need to be stable, play tough, and have the right mentality – to accept that they will have moments when they play superbly, but also that we will have periods when we can punish them. It's clear that the atmosphere, not only in the arena but also around the club, is a bit different, but that's not enough. We want to improve, although, if I compare the current situation with three months ago, the difference is obvious.Joan Peñarroya

Player Isak Bonga spoke about the team's motivation to perform better.

I think it's a collection of a lot of things we all have inside us, right? Regardless of whether we make the playoffs or not, this game... If you come here, we're not just going to let you win. I mean, obviously, our focus is always to win every EuroLeague game, just as we want to win every ABA League game.Isak Bonga

He also suggested that they need to slow down the Valencia team.

Of course, stop them. Obviously, they're going to have their runs, but at the same time, whenever they get on a run, we can't lose our heads, but stay mentally in the game. At the same time, we just have to make sure we play our game.Isak Bonga.

His teammate Arijan Lakić believes Partizan can deliver a better performance now than they did against this rival in their first encounter.

We played a good game in Valencia, but that was when Peñarroya had just taken over the team, and we were still gelling. Now we are much better prepared, and I can't wait for the match.Arijan Lakić

Even though the black-and-whites can't make the play-in, it doesn't deter them from approaching every game seriously.

We are focused solely on ourselves and must look after our own backyard. We regret not being able to advance further, but we must stick to what we do and prepare for the rest of the season, which is truly important.Arijan Lakić

"Partizan is in a different momentum"

Visiting coach Pedro Martinez promised that his team would try their best but pointed out their struggles with away games this season.

This year, we've been performing very poorly when playing away in the EuroLeague, and then again away in the Endesa League on the same weekend. We've lost most of the games we've played under such circumstances. It's a huge effort for the team, both physically and mentally. Additionally, for the upcoming games, we won't have Xabi Lopez and Montero, which further limits us as a team. We will try to give our maximum.Pedro Martinez

He praised Partizan, especially for their performances in recent weeks.

Partizan is in a different momentum – they've won seven of their last ten EuroLeague games, including the last four in a row. I think they are currently a very stable team when it comes to defensive rebounding. Also, everything related to defensive activity has significantly improved. It's an arena with an exceptional atmosphere, and we will have to play an excellent game to have a chance.Pedro Martinez