The Niners Chemnitz will face their next tough test on the international stage on Wednesday. In Turkey it is about qualifying for the main round of the Champions League.
Don’t think too much about what can happen in the play-ins, just concentrate on the individual game. This is the requirement for the Niners Chemnitz before the first of three possible games on Wednesday (from 6 p.m. in the live ticker and audio stream) in the play-ins of the Basketball Champions League against the Turkish representative Manisa Basket. Captain Jonas Richter explained this on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) in an interview with SPORT IM EAST: “If we can win here, we will be in a very good position to close the series in front of our home crowd.”
Coach Pastore does not tolerate complacency
In Turkey, the Saxons have to, as they did in their recent league successes against Frankfurt (85:66) and against the Syntainics MBC (82:72) Play team basketball. It worked very well, especially defensively. Center Eddy said in the Morning post: “The last few games were steps in the right direction. That’s what we want.”
Coach Rodrigo Pastore leaves no room for satisfaction. “We will have to move the ball even better than we did in the last few games,” said the 52-year-old Free Press quoted. He and Richter looked at exactly what could be improved on the outward flight to Turkey. The coach and the captain sat next to each other on the plane and analyzed the game together again.
Chemnitz looks at itself and not at the opponent
While the Niners played in their six preliminary round games just a win Manisa got four and went into the game as favorites. “We want to focus on ourselves every game and not so much on the opponent,” Richter continued. If you implement your own virtues with speed and good ball movement, you have “good chances” against Manisa.
The second leg will then take place in a week on January 14th. In between, the Niners have no games in the Bundesliga. “I think that’s an advantage. We have two games against the same opponent and can be fully focused on the series. That makes it easier than if there was a league game in between,” said Richter.
Decision game would rise in Turkey
If the score is 1-1 after two games against Manisa, there will be a playoff in Turkey. The date would be January 21st. The eight winners of the play-ins finally fill up the four main round groups. After six more group games, the two best teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, which will take place from April.
lbr/rac
More about the Niners
