Real Madrid confirms its new bad moment

The Madrid team pays for a bad end to the third quarter and falls 93-85 against Dubai BC in its third consecutive loss away from home in the Euroleague

This Thursday, Real Madrid confirmed its lack of solidity as a visitor in the Regular Phase of the 2025-2026 Euroleague by chaining its third consecutive defeat by losing to Dubai BC by 93-85, in a match that it had apparently controlled until a bad end to the third period.

From the great streak of six consecutive victories, five at the Movistar Arena, to the three consecutive defeats that fuel another moment of doubts, which seemed forgotten not too long ago and which urgently need to be stopped now for Sergio Scariolo’s team, who next week still have a fourth trip left, to Belgrade and Partizan, to try to lighten their heavy backpack as a visitor in the top continental competition, already at a worrying 4-10.

And all after a match where they were in command with some comfort in the third quarter until the locals found their moment and made the Madrid team pay dearly for the weakness of their rotation to take control and not let go. The three-pointers, despite good streaks, were once again a liability (9/35), as was a defense that conceded 56 points after the break, and only Walter Tavares (17 points and 9 rebounds) and Facundo Campazzo (24) were up to the task. Dzanan Musa punished his exes (20).

Real Madrid started stuck and without aim at the Coca-Cola Arena. The triples, as in Athens, still did not enter, with special mention for Campazzo, who continued his bad night in that aspect at OAKA with a weak 1/5. The hosts were physical in defense, especially with Dangubic on Hezonja, and the Madrid team could not find fluidity or rhythm, but their dominance of the rebound, especially the offensive one, and their rival’s lack of skill in attack also allowed them to command the electronics.

Musa was already applying the law of the former and with eight points he led Dubai BC, but the eleven total of the Dubai team’s locker at the end of the first ten minutes gave good control to the visitors, who with a great basket on the horn by Abalde and another by Lyles at the beginning of the second period they escaped (11-21).

But the rotations in both favored Jurica Golemac’s men, who found a way to get back into the match in Petrusev (9) and Avramovic (10). Real Madrid was missing Tavares in the ‘paint’ and the Serbian point guard’s second triple closed a tough 22-8 run and turned the score around (32-29).

Scariolo brought back his starters and with Campazzo, Tavares, Hezonja and Okeke the script of the match once again became Madrid-style thanks in large part to the appearance of the goal. Three triples in a row, two from the Croatian forward and one from the Argentine guard, returned the initiative (32-38) and a ‘3+1’ from Campazzo sent the eleven-time European champion ahead to the locker room (37-44).

DUBAI GOES INTO A TRANCE IN ATTACK

Real Madrid came out well after the restart, maintaining their success from the three-pointer they had from the second quarter. The triples of Hezonja, Campazzo and Okeke allowed them to live above ten points, but Dubai BC, with Bacon growing before the break, managed to reply and punished some bad visitor attack so as not to get too disengaged.

Scariolo had to adjust for the third foul by Tavares, who was doing damage in attack, and this time he opted for Len, who had scored at a high level in Athens, instead of Garuba, but the Ukrainian, despite a promising initial play, soon went to the bench with three fouls: one unsportsmanlike, one in attack and another that meant a ‘2+1’ by Wright IV.

The center showed that the rotations were not working and Dubai BC, led by Caboclo, went into an offensive trance and in the last 2:30 scored a 17-4 to go ahead for the final ten minutes (69-68). Real Madrid was ‘touched’, they did not recover and were forced for the first time in the entire match to row with the clock and the feelings running against them, transformed into unnecessary losses.

The Madrid team had lost offensive fluidity, with another bad streak from the triple and with Hezonja making bad decisions, and in defense they suffered, and a triple by Musa, who assumed responsibility for his team at the end, set off the alarms (81-73) with 3:43 left. Another three-pointer from Wright ended (88-81) the desperate visitor’s comeback attempt.

TECHNICAL SHEET.

–RESULT: DUBAI BC, 93 – REAL MADRID, 85 (37-44, at halftime).

–TEAMS.

DUBAI BC: Wright (16), Musa (20), Dangubic (-), Bacon (15) y Kabengele (-) –quinteto inicial– Avramovic (10), Petrusev (16), Anderson (5) y Caboclo (11).

REAL MADRID: Campazzo (24), Abalde (7), Hezonja (11), Okeke (5) and Tavares (17) –starting quintet–; Lyles (8), Garuba (4), Feliz (4), Llull (2), Len (2), Kramer (1) and Procida (-).

–PARTIALS: 11-19, 26-25, 32-24 and 24-17.

–REFEREES: Hordov, Pastusiak and Racys.

–PAVILLION: Coca-Cola Arena.