Eternal Belgrade Derby in Belgrade Arena Opens the Semifinals
In the Game 1 of the AdmiralBet ABA League Semifinal series, Partizan Mozzart Bet will be hosting Crvena zvezda Meridianbet at home in their Belgrade Arena in Belgrade.
(Photo: ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic)
2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League Semifinals Round 1, Monday, 18 May 2026:
PARTIZAN MOZZART BET – CRVENA ZVEZDA MERIDIANBET
Where? Belgrade Arena, Belgrade
When? 20:00
Story of the game: In the Game 1 of the AdmiralBet ABA League Semifinal series, Partizan Mozzart Bet will be hosting Crvena zvezda Meridianbet at home in their Belgrade Arena in Belgrade.
A battle of two Belgrade powerhouses, which have several times before met in the AdmiralBet ABA League Finals, will take place this season in the Semifinals and the series begin on Monday, as Partizan Mozzart Bet are set to host Crvena zvezda Meridianbet at their home court in Belgrade Arena in Belgrade.
Partizan Mozzart Bet are entering the Semifinal stage after a 2:0 sweep of their Quarterfinal series against Bosna BH Telecom, while on the other side, Crvena zvezda Meridianbet are joining the Semifinals party after a hard-fought Quarterfinal battle against Cedevita Olimpija, which the red and white have won 2:1 in victories after a dramatic Game 3 in Belgrade.
Thus, Partizan Mozzart Bet have had five days more to prepare for the Semifinals, which could give them a bit of advantage in the Game 1 due to freshness and quality of preparation, that was possible due to longer period of availability for this activity. However, Zvezda enters the series straight away from the competitive rhythm, which could pose a bit of advantage to them as well.
The two teams have met twice before this season in the AdmiralBet ABA League and each of them has prevailed on home court. How will it be this time around when it matters the most?
Match-up in focus: Perhaps the most interesting match-up of the game can be the one between two prolific scorers, Duane Washington and Jared Butler. While Washington is currently leading Partizan Mozzart Bet in scoring, averaing 20.1 points per game, Butler has been Zvezda’s second-leading scorer this season, with an average of 12.6 points scored per game for the red and white this season.
Head-to-head score in ABA: In total 31:36, At Partizan Mozzart Bet's home court 20:11.
