### MARTIN SCHILLER, ZALGIRIS KAUNAS HEAD COACH

"Zenit is obviously a very stacked team despite not having Shabazz Napier with them. I think they are not a dark horse anymore. I think they are a team that is competing for the playoffs and more. In my eyes, the frontcourt is extremely physical with the two fives and Mickey at the four, there’s a lot of physicality. There’s a lot of shooting on the team, especially with Baron and Frankamp. When they have Shabazz back, it will be a high-quality team in this league, but even without him, they are a really tough team. I am looking forward to the challenge."

Martin Schiller, Zalgiris: "I think they are not a dark horse anymore."

Zalgiris Kaunas v Zenit St Petersburg (2021-10-07T17:00:00.000Z)

Keys to victory: Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Zenit St Petersburg

Zalgiris struggled to score in the paint against ASVEL, making just 17-of-37 shots (45.9%) inside the arc. On the other hand, ASVEL had really good shooting percentages against the Lithuanian champs (60.0% 2FG, 47.8% 3FG), so reaching out to defend shots and improving its defense should be two big keys for Coach Martin Schiller's squad. Zalgiris had 12 turnovers but ASVEL had 10 steals, which means that most of its mistakes went straight into their opponents' hands. In that sense, Mantas Kalnietis, Mudiay and Strelnieks should have a critical role in this game, organizing Zalgiris's offense and minimizing mistakes. Getting Lauvergne and Josh Nebo involved around the basket should be important, too.

In Kazan, Zenit led by 12 points with over 3 minutes left and UNICS managed to keep its chances alive until the final seconds. Zenit committed 18 turnovers and struggled from beyond the three-point line (8-of-29, 27.6% 3FG). Without injured playmaker Shabazz Napier, Conner Frankamp and Dmitry Kulagin should once again share the point guard duties. Zenit only had 11 assists against UNICS, so getting its best scorers (Baron, Loyd) and strongest finishers (Jordan Mickey, Alex Poythress) involved should be another key to remain undefeated.

Zalgiris struggled to score in the paint against ASVEL, making just 17-of-37 shots (45.9%) inside the arc. 

Zenit features two players who played for Zalgiris in the past: Arturas Gudaitis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas. 

Marquee matchup: Joffrey Lauvergne vs. Arturas Gudaitis

Zenit features two players who played for Zalgiris in the past: Arturas Gudaitis and Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Gudaitis played 27 EuroLeague games for the Lithuanian powerhouse from 2014 to 2015. He is a great finisher around the rim, who uses his body with great effectiveness and has good hands to execute in the paint. Gudaitis is also a very good rebounder, especially on the defensive end, and his battle against Joffrey Lauvergne should be one of the biggest keys to this game.

Lauvergne struggled against bigger opponents in Round 1, but should bounce back against another mobile, dynamic center like Gudaitis. Lauvergne has great post moves, a really high basketball IQ and is also an excellent rebounder with great timing for tip-ins and alley-oops. Even though both teams have other options around the baskets, the matchup between these two experienced big men should be one to follow closely.

Zalgiris Kaunas (0-1) comes off a 12-point road loss in Round 1 and hopes to bounce back in front of its diehard fans at the magnificent Zalgirio Arena. Janis Strelnieks (21) was its top scorer against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 1, followed by Emmanuel Mudiay (12), Niels Giffey (8) and Lukas Lekavicius (8). Zenit St Petersburg held on for a 69-70 road victory against UNICS Kazan in Round 1. It was the only EuroLeague team to win on the road in the competition's opening round. Conner Frankamp (18) led Zenit in scoring and Billy Baron (17) and Jordan Loyd (10) also scored in double digits. Zenit is undefeated against Zalgiris in EuroLeague action - four wins in as many games. Last season, Zenit downed Zalgiris 75-83 in Kaunas behind 20 points from Austin Hollins and went on to defeat the Lithuanian powerhouse 77-65 in St Petersburg with 15 points each from Mateusz Ponitka and Arturas Gudaitis.



Zalgiris Kaunas and Zenit St Petersburg hit it off at the Lithuanian city.

The Take: Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Zenit St Petersburg

This is what the Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul protagonists of the game had to say before the game.

Sasa Djordjevic: "We will try to put our game on the floor and try to avoid their transition game"

### SASA DJORDJEVIC, FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL HEAD COACH

"It will be a tough road trip. Some of our players come from injuries, like Guduric and Barthel. They will be on the roster, and we will try to put our game on the floor and try to avoid their transition game. They are good with the ball in their hands, and their other strength are offensive rebounds. They have experienced players who know how to show their best game at this level. We must be ready to respond to the atmosphere by putting in 40 minutes of intense and smart basketball."


### ACHILLE POLONARA, FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL CENTER

"We will face a tough team, athletic. They will play with a lot of fans and it will be tough. But we go there to win, because road wins are very important. We have to limit our turnovers and also their fastbreak because of their athleticism. They are good on offensive rebounds, so we will have to play a perfect game in order to win."


Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2021-10-07T18:00:00.000Z)

This is what the Panathinaikos OPAP Athens protagonists of the game had to say before the game.

Dmitris Priftis:  "The most important thing for us is to make the right decisions"

### DIMITRIS PRIFTIS, HEAD COACH PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS

"We had a very bad week and we have to find a way to react. We need to show more stability, because we have a lot of ups and downs in our performance, and this is our most important problem. Against Fenerbahce, the most important thing for us is to make the right decisions in the game and to be effective in long shots. Panathinaikos fans are positive, optimistic and supportive towards the team. Their presence on the stands is a big advantage for Panathinaikos."


### OKARO WHITE, PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS FORWARD

"We had a very difficult start in both the Euroleague and the Greek League. We must move forward. Fenerbahce is a tough and experienced team but we have to find a way to deal with it. We have to see how we can improve, work hard and then see who our opponent is."


Panathinaikos OPAP Athens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul each have players eager to bounce back in Round 2 and that should make this game even more attractive.

Keys to victory: Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul each have players eager to bounce back in Round 2 and that should make this game even more attractive. In Monaco, Kendrick Perry and Nedovic were held scoreless, combining 17 missed shots and a PIR of -19. Both Nedovic and Perry are experienced and resilient players who know how to overcome the pressure of a poor performance. Fenerbahce's Nando De Colo had 7 points, 4 turnovers and a PIR of 5 against Zvezda, but he has the talent, know-how and leadership to do much better, especially in a tough road game like this one.

Panathinaikos powered the offensive glass well in Monaco for 17 boards and committed just 8 turnovers, but must improve its shot selection to challenge in this game. The Greens made 23 of 50 shots inside the arc (46.0%) and 4 of 20 from downtown (20.0%). Preventing Pierria Henry from speeding up the game tempo should be a priority for Panathinaikos, as well as not allowing Fenerbahce to connect with Jan Vesely and Devin Booker, who can play above the rim and also hit outside shots. Fenerbahce must run its offense through De Colo and Vesely, expecting Achille Polonara and DyShawn Pierre to find advantages at the forward spots. Fenerbahce was outrebounded 32-42 in Round 1, allowing 15 offensive boards. It must box out against a great rebounding team like the Greens and it is up to the whole team to do so.

Ioannis Papapetrou and DyShawnPierre led their respective teams in scoring in Round 1 and are expected to match up against each other this week. 

Marquee matchup: Ioannis Papapetrou vs. DyShawnPierre

Ioannis Papapetrou and DyShawnPierre led their respective teams in scoring in Round 1 and are expected to match up against each other this week. Papapetrou is an effective scorer, who can pull the trigger from downtown or use a first quick step to either hit mid-range jumpers with great accuracy or finish strong at the rim. At age 27, Papapetrou is in his ninth EuroLeague season and all the experience gained in previous years is paying off in terms of leadership and talent, optimizing his many resources on offense.

Papapetrou will not have it easy against Pierre, a very physical defensive forward who knows how to use his athleticism, quick feet and overall aggressiveness to shut down his opponents. Pierre is also a very good scorer who can hit from beyond the arc or use his explosiveness to attack the basket. Both Pierre and Papapetrou like to play hard, to expect a stellar matchup.

Pierre-010560.jpg

Marquee matchup: Ioannis Papapetrou vs. DyShawnPierre, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (0-1) started the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign with a 75-63 road loss at the hands of AS Monaco and returns home to finally meet its fans at OAKA in what should be a very special showdown in the Greek capital. Ioannis Papapetrou led Panathinaikos in Monaco with 16 points, Daryl Macon added 13 and Georgios Papagiannis pulled down 11 rebounds for the Greens.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (1-0) defeated Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 61-57 in Round 1 a hard-fought battle. DyShawn Pierre led Fenerbahce in scoring with 13 points and Devin Booker and Jan Vesely each scored 7 for the Turkish powerhouse. These teams have faced each other 30 times since the turn of the century. Panathinaikos leads Fenerbahce 16-14 and is 13-3 at home in those games. Last season, the Greens prevailed 82-68 in Athens behind 28 points from Nemanja Nedovic, who buried 7-of-12 shots from beyond the arc.

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul meet for Round 2 at OAKA in Athens.