NLB MATCH OF THE ROUND: Monday night derby in Podgorica – Budućnost VOLI vs. Crvena zvezda Meridianbet

2024/25 AdmiralBet ABA League Round 5, Monday, 21 October 2024:

BUDUĆNOST VOLI - CRVENA ZVEZDA MERIDIANBET

Where? Morača Sports Center, Podgorica

When? 19:00 CET

Story of the game: The last match of Round 5 will be quite a spectacle as two regional giants are about to face each other in Podgorica. It’s Budućnost VOLI vs. Crvena zvezda Meridianbet.

Budućnost VOLI opened the new AdmiralBet ABA League season in the best possible way as the blue-and-whites have a perfect record after the opening 4 rounds and if they win the upcoming match they will remain at the top of the table. On top of all that, the Podgorica side scored an important win in the EuroCup over the last week to additionally boost the team’s confidence ahead of the Monday’s derby.

On the other side, Crvena zvezda Meridianbet have already suffered two defeats in the 2024/25 AdmiralBet ABA League season and they are coming to Podgorica with the overall score of 2-2. Yet, it definitely seems that the red-and-whites are improving their form day by day, and that was especially obvious over the last week in their EuroLeague games when they firstly defeated Fenerbahce Beko on the road, while after that they played an epic game against Barcelona, which they eventually lost in overtime.

The home court advantage was always important in the games between these two teams. Budućnost VOLI have won 21 out of 28 home-court games against Crvena zvezda Meridinabet, and the Podgorica troops now aim to improve that already impressive score. Last season, Budućnost VOLI defeated Crvena zvezda Meridinabet quite easily in Podgorica – 84:62.

Meanwhile, Crvena zvezda Meridianbet will try to repeat their performance from May, 2023 when they stormed through Podgorica in Game 2 of the 2023 AdmiralBet ABA League Semi-Finals, winning that match by 97:56.

Match-up in focus: Budućnost VOLI hit the jackpot by signing Rasheed Sulaimon last summer as he is currently the top scorer of the blue-and-whites with 14.3 points per game and the player with highest average index rating in the Podgorica team with 19 index points per game.

Meanwhile, Crvena zvezda Meridinabet summer signing Mike Daum has been impressive at the start of the season as he is as well both the top scorer of his team with 15 points per game and the player with the highest average index rating in his team with 16.3 index points per game.

One of them might turn out to be the key man of the Monday’s derby.

Head-to-head score in the regional league: In total 26:33; In Podgorica 21:7.