Twelve straight defeats loom over Bilbao’s strong start
Surne Bilbao Basket faces a daunting challenge this Sunday at 12:30 when the team visits Real Madrid for the fourth round of the Liga Endesa, radiopopular.com reported. The Basque club enters the fixture carrying twelve consecutive defeats at the Madrid arena, setting up a sharp contrast against their strong start to the current campaign.
Momentum collides with Madrid’s unblemished record
Bilbao has opened the season with a 2-0 record in the BCL and 2-1 in the domestic league, driven by high-scoring performances and a team-first mentality under head coach Jaume Ponsarnau. Yet that early momentum collides directly with a heavy historical disadvantage in the Spanish capital. Real Madrid holds an unblemished 3-0 record in the ACB alongside three straight EuroLeague victories following an initial three-game skid.
Injury doubts and Llull’s march to 700 appearances
Injury concerns affect both benches ahead of the tip-off. Aleix Font stands as Bilbao’s sole doubt due to a viral infection, while Real Madrid will play without Deck and Garuba. On the opponent’s side, Sergio Llull approaches a major milestone, standing just one appearance away from his 700th league game. That milestone will place the player sixth on the all-time league appearance list, trailing Nacho Azofra (705), Marcelinho Huertas (735), Nacho Rodríguez (737), Rafa Jofresa (756) and Felipe Reyes (824).
Ponsarnau targets Tavares, Pradilla and discipline
Ponsarnau has emphasized his squad’s ambition, stating that the team maintains the "mentalidad del equipo de ir a ganar" despite facing one of the most demanding teams in the competition, with great capacity to neutralize rival strengths through key players such as Tavares or Pradilla. To counter those threats, the coach has urged his players to cut down on the number of free throws gifted to the rival and to sustain concentration throughout the game. Radio Popular-Herri Irratia will broadcast the match live starting at 12:00 on Hirukoa Bizkaian.
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