Panathinaikos hosts Barcelona (October 3, 21:15) at the Telekom Center Athens, for Round 2 of the EuroLeague, aiming to close out the first “double week” of the top European club competition unbeaten and to maintain a perfect home record.

The “Greens” started their European campaign with a win, as in the EuroLeague opener, Ergin Ataman’s team defeated Bayern Munich 87–79. Kendrick Nunn impressed with 21 points and 10 assists.

Although Panathinaikos didn’t completely dominate, they did everything needed to secure a comfortable first victory of the new season.

In fact, the 27 assists and the fact that they won all four quarters against Bayern are encouraging signs for the Turkish coach.

However, there was some concern regarding T.J. Shorts, who finished the game scoreless, clearly affected by the recent illness he had been dealing with.

The fact that the explosive point guard—one of the most high-profile summer signings in Europe—failed to score for the first time in a European competition did not go unnoticed.

Additionally, coach Ataman has an issue to solve in the rebounding department, as his team lost the battle on the boards to Bayern.

On the positive side, Nikos Rogkavopoulos (15 points) and Omer Yurtseven (14 points) made strong contributions alongside Nunn.

Richaun Holmes had a solid EuroLeague debut with 9 points, while Panathinaikos attempted only 18 three-pointers, making 5 — indicating room for improvement in their perimeter game.

Barcelona’s Heavy Opening Loss

Barcelona, on the other hand, suffered a heavy defeat to start their EuroLeague season, losing 103–87 on the road to Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Conceding over 100 points says a lot about their defensive struggles and lack of cohesion.

This result certainly set off “alarm bells” within the Catalan club, especially after a series of lackluster preseason performances.

Will Clyburn stood out with 23 points, while Punter and Vesely added 13 each.

Coach Joan Peñarroya used all 12 available players but couldn’t find a lineup capable of changing the game’s momentum against the Israelis.

This is a crucial season for Peñarroya, who is coming off a disappointing year, and the pressure is mounting. If the team’s performances don’t improve, his position could come under scrutiny.

Their next test is far from easy, as Barcelona travels to Athens to face an ambitious Panathinaikos, one of the favorites to reach the Final Four.

The Catalans will need a clear plan to contain Kendrick Nunn and to make sure Shorts doesn’t bounce back explosively after his poor debut.

Barcelona’s backcourt (Brizuela, Satoransky, Laprovittola) must raise its level and, most importantly, limit turnovers (they had 15 in the opener).

Their frontcourt also needs immediate improvement — aside from Vesely, the rest did not perform up to par.

To have a chance at the OAKA, Barcelona must win the battle inside, especially since Panathinaikos showed weakness in rebounding.

Injuries and Rosters

Panathinaikos will be without Mathias Lessort due to injury, while Cedi Osman’s participation will be decided at the last moment.
For Barcelona, Juan Núñez is out after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Excluded from Ataman’s 12-man roster: Toliopoulos and Grigonis.

Panathinaikos 12-man squad: Kalaitzakis, Shorts, Osman, Holmes, Sloukas, Rogkavopoulos, Samontourov, Grant, Nunn, Hernangomez, Mitoglou, Yurtseven.

Barcelona 12-man squad: Punter, Cael, Norris, Vesely, Brizuela, Satoransky, Hernangomez, Fall, Laprovittola, Clyburn, Shengelia, Parra.

Rest of Today’s EuroLeague Schedule

• Zalgiris vs Fenerbahce – 20:00
• Efes vs Hapoel Tel Aviv – 20:30
• Monaco vs Dubai – 20:30
• ASVEL vs Baskonia – 21:00
• Valencia vs Virtus Bologna – 21:30
• Maccabi vs Paris – 22:30