Zadar stun Crvena zvezda Meridianbet on the road

2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League Group B Round 1, Monday, 6 October 2025:

Crvena zvezda Meridianbet - ZADAR 79:85 (21:27, 16:16, 16:19, 26:23)

PHOTO GALLERY

POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: History repeats itself! Just like in 2022, Zadar once again stunned Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in Belgrade to wrap up Round 1 of the 2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League season. The Dalmatian side delivered a fearless and confident performance inside Aleksandar Nikolić Hall, leading for almost the entire match and earning a well-deserved victory.

Zadar controlled the tempo from the very start, finding their rhythm early through fast ball movement and accurate shooting from long range. The visitors held the advantage through all four quarters, never allowing the red-and-whites to find consistent momentum.

Crvena zvezda Meridianbet did make a late push in the final minutes, reducing the gap and trying to spark a comeback, but Zadar responded with calm and execution - hitting the big shots whenever it mattered most.

With this triumph, Zadar have opened their 2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League campaign in the best possible way, while for Crvena zvezda Meridianbet this is another difficult blow at the start of the new season, coming just days after suffering two consecutive EuroLeague defeats.

Key moments: The key stretch came in the final quarter when Zadar refused to let go of their lead.

Karlo Žganec hit a huge 3-pointer to restore a 9-point advantage at 75:66. Moments later, Borna Kapusta calmly sank two free throws to keep a 9-point gap 77:68, before Žganec struck again - this time with a tough two-pointer that sealed the deal at 79:70.

Those clutch baskets kept Zadar at a safe distance until the final buzzer and ensured that the celebration belonged to the Dalmatian side once again in Belgrade.

Man of the Match: Karlo Žganec was the engine behind Zadar’s impressive performance.

The experienced forward finished the match with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, including those decisive 5 points in crunch time that kept his team in control when it mattered most.

Can’t trick the stats: The 3-point line made all the difference in this one.

Zadar knocked down 15 out of 35 attempts from beyond the arc, showing confidence and spacing throughout the game. On the other side, Crvena zvezda Meridianbet struggled heavily from distance, finishing at just 5 out of 27, which ultimately proved costly in a tight contest.