Luca Banchi has expressed his expectations for the EuroLeague showdown in the fifth round, where his Virtus team will be visiting Asvel.
The team from the “university city” has performed well at the beginning of the season, which can’t exactly be said for their opponent. That resulted in Tony Parker removing his brother T.J. Parker as head coach, and Gianmarco Pozzecco has taken his place. Due to this Italian face-off on the bench, the game becomes even more intriguing.
“The game against Asvel comes at an inconvenient time for us due to the situation the opponent is in. They still haven’t won a game in the EuroLeague, and they are now attempting to elicit a reaction from the team by changing the coach. We expect an extremely tough match, both from an emotional and technical and physical standpoint.
Asvel has excellent team physique and athleticism. We are preparing adequately for a game that promises a great battle. We want to compete from the first minute, with caution regarding the arrival of Coach Pozzecco, which could bring them additional energy. We hope to play at a high level for the full 40 minutes. That will be the key factor and the foundation of our game where we aim to impose our rhythm on the matches,” said Luca Banchi.