The King Shows Why He's King and Why You Should Never Count Him Out

You followed the Valencia vs. Real Madrid match live on Sportal.

After Olympiacos decisively defeated Fenerbahçe, we now know the name of the second finalist.

It's Real Madrid, who have secured yet another final appearance. Their last championship game was in 2024, where they were defeated by Panathinaikos in Berlin.

They will now contend for a new trophy, marking their 11th Final Four appearance since 2011.

It's truly remarkable how often people tend to overlook Real Madrid, a phenomenon frequently observed in football as well. This oversight has repeatedly come back to haunt many.

Among the four teams, Real Madrid somehow received the least attention, despite arguably being the biggest club of all mentioned, with all due respect to Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe.

Olympiacos, as the host of the final tournament, was the top team in the regular season. Fenerbahçe arrived in Athens as the defending champions, naturally drawing significant attention, and the same could be said for Valencia. This was palpable tonight in Panathinaikos' arena.

Although Valencia maintained a top position in the EuroLeague throughout the season and managed to overcome Panathinaikos from a 0-2 deficit to reach the Final Four, they now experienced what it truly means to play on the biggest stage, where there's no room for error.

Pedro Martinez's team might have promised to play without pressure and simply stick to their basketball. However, executing that in practice proved to be far from easy.

Real Madrid, among other things, won the game purely on experience. They gradually extended their lead, pulling away precisely when it mattered most. And even when it seemed Valencia might stage a comeback in the final moments, the Madrid side always had an answer.

It's almost redundant to discuss the wealth of experience players like Sergio Llull, Facundo Campazzo, Mario Hezonja, and the rest of the squad possess in such high-stakes games. Unfortunately for Valencia, that's precisely what they lacked.

Martinez's squad enjoyed a remarkable run, captivating all of Europe, but Real Madrid demonstrated why they should never be underestimated or forgotten, and why major surprises, at least the biggest ones, are rare in the EuroLeague.

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