BERLIN – alba Berlin faces a unique pressure cooker as it enters the Champions League group stage, where every game carries important weight unlike the longer Euroleague regular season, according too team advisor Pablo Ojeda. The team, relatively inexperienced, must quickly adapt to a win-or-advance format.
The Champions League’s condensed schedule-a group of six teams vying for the top two spots-demands immediate results. A loss in the Champions League carries a heavier psychological toll than a regular season defeat in the Euroleague, where Alba has 38 games to recover, Ojeda explained. “That can also be perilous. As if you also lose in the Champions League, it hurts more than in the Euroleague,” he saeid.Alba must navigate this high-stakes surroundings while simultaneously adjusting to a new team dynamic.
Ojeda emphasized the lack of margin for error. ”Every game now counts as it is indeed not a regular season,” he warned, highlighting the importance of avoiding early setbacks. Alba Berlin needs to finish among the group’s top two teams to advance.
(dpa)
