Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix
Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

Tonight's match between CSKA Moscow and Anadolu Efes Istanbul is one of the most awaited clashes of the week. Two powerhouses aiming to establish their presence in the league promise an exciting match on Wednesday evening.

Ahead of the battle, both teams look at their opponents with the utmost respect. CSKA assistant coach Andreas Pistiolis, who will coach the team in place of Dimitris Itoudis, was happy to play against a familiar team.

"Efes is a great team, they are reigning champs. We are happy to play against them, it's going to be an exciting game," the coach said looking ahead to the match. "Whoever chooses to come to the gym to watch the game will watch some beautiful basketball and enjoy it."

Efes head coach Ergin Ataman who won't be at the helm of the team as well had great words to say about the Moscow's club, emphasizing Alexey Shved: "Alexey Shved is in great form at CSKA Moscow. We need to put pressure on him and limit restrict his scoring contribution."

"We also need to pay attention to Will Clyburn’s one-on-one games, Johannes Voigtmann’s outside shots, and Nikola Milutinov’s offensive rebounds," the Turkish coach continued. "With defensive rebounds, controlled offensive play, and accurate shooting selections, we will go out on the field to win."

When Efes superstar Shane Larkin was asked about the upcoming match, the great words about the opponents continued. "CSKA Moscow is a very talented team with experience and a winning culture," Larkin said. "It is a very important game for both teams, so a challenging atmosphere will await us."

"We have to be very careful on defense, share the ball on offense, and focus very well on details because CSKA Moscow is a very well-managed team," the superstar guard continued. "If we do that, I believe we have a good chance of getting a tough win.”

CSKA guard Iffe Lundberg expects it to be a really tough match. "It's gonna be a hard-fought game for sure, two of the toughest teams in Europe battling it out," the Danish guard noted.

The key to the victory? Executing the pre-match game plan. "Hopefully, we will execute coaches' game plan to perfection (or close to) because they are very dangerous, especially on the offensive end," Iffe said. "Their two main guards are two of the best players in this league, we gotta be ready for that."

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2-pointers this season

56%
20,1
Points made: 20,1
Accuracy: 55,7%
Place in standings: 8
Record max: 28
Record min: 14
Most made 2FGs: Vasilije Micic