The Endesa Super Cup does not suit Barça at all, worse than a tracksuit on Frank Sinatra, unable to lift the trophy since 2015. Although perhaps the most hurtful thing is that, with the semi-final this Saturday, they have had five consecutive defeats against the Real Madrid in this tournament - the previous four were in the final -, which boasts of being official even though the curtain comes down on the preseason.
With the Lliga Catalana in his pocket, Roger Grimau had a high test, perhaps the first of the season with his first classic on the bench. Calm on the outside, probably hysterical on the inside, the coach did not change his script but it was evident that his squad is still in the learning process. Especially in the defensive area, where some players are still too lost. To settle, a change as abrupt as this summer in the Palau requires much more time, it goes much further than the month of September.
The Blaugrana began living off the Laprovittola spring, which after the departures of Mirotic or Higgins seems to be Grimau's best offensive argument at the moment. The Argentine took up to 16 points in his backpack in the first quarter alone. But it was not the best of signs to depend as much on the same player as it later proved.
Real Madrid's project is opposite to that of Barça. Continuity and only a new face... but what a face. The arrival of Campazzo has been the cherry on top for the European champion, who demonstrated that he knew himself much better than his rival and that his coach's systems were much more integrated.
The white team has almost unlimited resources and Barça suffered it. Deck was the first to stand up to Laprovittola, preventing the Barça team from escaping in the light of the Murcia Sports Palace, which proved to be as white as the WiZink.
Barça's dream was revived with a three-pointer from Parra as soon as the second quarter began (32-25), but Real Madrid soon put on the band-aid and took control of the classic. Already at that time the losses, the same ones that so irritated Grimau's predecessor, were a burden for the Barcelona team, which was too tender.
Equality in the classic was blown up after leaving the locker room. Tavares was already threatening to become a serious problem for Barça and Vesely's fourth foul confirmed it. As already seen in Lleida, Willy Hernangómez confirmed that he is very far from the level expected of him (-3 rating), running into the Cape Verdean giant again and again. Under his basket, he allowed Campazzo to run wild and destroy the game with 8 almost consecutive points that stretched to 58-67 at the edge of the last act.
Although the sensations that Barça transmitted were not the best, he still allowed himself to dream of fighting for victory and for the final. But then Madrid's arsenal appeared. First it was Deck. Then Tavares. Even Rudy did his thing to break the classic. And in the final stretch, Musa took over, hitting the Barça hoop viciously, making the scoreboard jump into the air. Poirier went deep to 66-83, putting a lot of burden on Grimau's Barça. Madrid's sixth final was a fact. Unicaja or Murcia will be your rival.
80. Barça Basket (25 15 19 21): Laprovittola (27), Satoransky (14), Da Silva (5), Kalinic (7) and Vesely (8) -starting five-, Brizuela (-), Willy Hernangómez (2 ), Abrines (8), Parker (4), Jokubaitis (2) and Parra (3).
90. Real Madrid Basketball (22 20 25 23): Campazzo (17), Abalde (2), Musa (24), Deck (14) and Poirier (7) -starting five-, Causeur (-), Rudy Fermández (7 ), Henzonja (-), Sergio Rodríguez (3), Tavares (13), Llull (2) and Yabusele (1).
Referees: Benjamín Jiménez Trujillo, Rafael Serrano Velázquez and Cristóbal Sánchez Cutillas. no deleted
Incidents: Match of the first semi-final of the Endesa Super Cup of basketball that was played at the Palacio de los Deportes in Murcia before 7,400 spectators who filled its stands.
