Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will continue its double EuroLeague week on Friday at 8:30 PM (Israel time) when it plays Anadolu Efes on neutral ground in Riga. After their winning streak was interrupted by Panathinaikos despite a strong performance, the yellows now face a Turkish team riding on a five-game winning streak.

Maccabi is still missing three injured players: Jasiel Rivero (ankle), Jaylen Hoard (hamstring), and Marial Shayok (shoulder). Coach Oded Kattash held a light practice in Belgrade on Thursday, dedicated to recovery, treatments, and stretching to cope with the load of games. Afterward, the players and staff took a flight to the Latvian capital, where the game will be held at the 11,200-seat Xiaomi Arena.

As mentioned, the blue-and-reds from Istanbul are arriving in peak form after five consecutive wins, led by coach Luca Banchi, who joined mid-season. Anadolu began the week with a 92-76 win over Baskonia and last week stunned Partizan in Belgrade with a 32-point victory. This streak places Anadolu in 7th place in the standings with a 17-14 record, still strong in the playoffs picture .

“In our situation, playing within two days is very, very difficult,” warned Oded Kattash ahead of the game against the Turks. “We’ll need to recover quickly, manage the minutes. We’re playing against a team in amazing form. In my opinion, they’re top 2-3 in the EuroLeague. Unlike Panathinaikos, with whom we’ve had a good matchup in recent years, with Anadolu it will be different”.

In the first meeting of the season between the teams in Belgrade, Maccabi overcame Anadolu 93-91. Since Oded Kattash took over as head coach in 2022, the yellows
have a 4-1 record against the Istanbul-based team. In total, the head-to-head record between the teams in the current millennium slightly favors Anadolu, 14-13.