From BZ/dpa
Only two weeks after the cup defeat, Alba Berlin meets their long-time rival Bayern Munich again. But the view is forward, especially since the constellation is different.
Two weeks after the bitter semifinals in the cup against FC Bayern Munich, Alba gets the chance to take revenge. On Saturday, the German champions will welcome their long-time rivals (8:30 p.m.). “Of course we want to take revenge. But of course that’s difficult because a league game isn’t about as much as the cup,” said Guard Jonas Mattisseck.
Jonas Mattisseck is eager for revenge against Bayern Photo: City Press
It took Berliners a few days to forget the bankruptcy. But now it should be over. “You have to get those things out of your head quickly. You mustn’t mourn such things, otherwise it will affect the next games,” said the national player Johannes Thiemann.
The timing of the cup game was also crucial for him. “If that had come a week later, we would certainly have been able to sell ourselves better. Because the energy level was something that really hurt us in the cup,” he said. In the last two weeks, Alba only had to play two competitive games and was able to regain strength. Thiemann therefore expects “a completely different game” on Saturday.
“We want to set an example”
Alba also has a much more favorable starting position in the league. A Berlin defeat is already faced by six at Bayern. That’s why coach Israel Gonzalez says “there’s no pressure” on his team. “We want to set an example,” announced Mattisseck.
A problem for Alba could be the thin staffing level. In the 74:88 in the Euroleague on Thursday evening at Partizan Belgrade, six players were missing. At least for Tamir Blatt, Malte Delow (flu infection), Ben Lammers (ankle) and Yovel Zoosman (shoulder) there is hope that one or the other can be back against Bayern.