Barcelona wins close game against Milan

FC Barcelona defeated Olimpia Milan 81-89 in the 7th round of the Euroleague on Thursday, October 22, improving their record to 4-3. The game took place at the Unipol Forum in Assago in front of 6,557 spectators.

Barcelona led in each quarter

Barcelona led at the end of each quarter: 21-23 after the first, 40-44 at halftime, and 64-71 entering the final quarter. Despite these leads, the team had to fight hard to secure the win, as Milan is known for its strong shooting from three-point range.

Barcelona recovering from recent losses

Barcelona had previously lost to Olympiakos in overtime on October 16 and suffered another defeat in the Liga Endesa against Joventut Badalone. Umoja Gibson, named player of the game, told EFE that the team had come from "two painful defeats."

Sekulic emphasizes defense and teamwork

Aleksander Sekulic, the Slovenian coach who joined the Catalan team this year, emphasized the importance of defense, stating that the team needed to limit the success of Milan's shooters, who are their main strength. He praised the team's 17 offensive rebounds and highlighted the importance of collective defense and ball movement in attack.

Barcelona outrebounded Milan

The rebound numbers supported Sekulic's assessment: Barcelona had 39 rebounds compared to Milan's 33, including 17 offensive rebounds to Milan's 11. Milan was more accurate from three-point range (14 out of 33) compared to Barcelona's 12 out of 34.

Barcelona's key players shine

Kevin Punter led Barcelona with 17 points, despite making only 2 of 8 from three-point range. Tyrese Martin added 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Umoja Gibson scored 13 points with 3 of 3 from three-point range in 15 minutes, for a game-high 21 points of evaluation.

Milan's performance and record

On the Milan side, Jason Burnell scored 15 points with 4 of 5 from three-point range, followed by Alec Peters (13 points), Leandro Bolmaro, and Darius Thompson (12 points each). Moses Wright grabbed 8 rebounds. Milan, champions of Italy in June, suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, bringing their record to 2-5.

Upcoming matches for both teams

Barcelona will next face Bayern Munich on Tuesday, October 27, while Milan will play Panathinaikos the same evening.