Although the differences in personnel and budget are obvious, balsa and BAXI Manresa In the history of the first 22 league games, the distance between the two teams has never been that great.Them Verge they won with palau In the first round (82-83), Barça did it this Sunday in a competitive match in the Nou Congost (77-87) and arrived in this quarter-final. cupJust three wins will determine the standings for both teams.

In a single game and under so much pressure, expectations can change and tactically unexpected things can happen, but if we stick to what we’ve seen in the first few days of the league; When the two teams square off in Malaga on Friday, each side will face two opposing styles: Unique strengths.

Barça are overwhelming in terms of attack

The Blaugrana are clearly more effective in attack, scoring 116.9 points per 100 possessions compared to Manresa’s 110 possessions. Defensively, they are more equal (108 for Barça vs. 110 for BAXI). This season, Barça have the most room for improvement in their defence, and that is the key to specific improvement. If you compare this Barça to the previous Barça, their points per possession rate is the third worst in the league over the past 20 years. Barça bases its offensive superiority on both his 2 and 3, which is its highest success rate (one of his best in ACB history). He is only worse than Manresa in free throw percentage (71.2% vs. 74.7%).

The rhythm is Manresa’s

Years ago (perhaps decades), less talented and less effective teams tried to guess by slowing down the pace of play in the game. In recent years, some people have moved away from the complex, choosing rhythm and faster playing. Manresa is the standard bearer of this style.

Last year they averaged 77.6 possessions per game, the fastest in the league, and this season they have maintained that trend with 76.3 possessions per game, with only Girona ahead. Although Manresa’s run rate is slightly lower than last year, it is well above average and far more than Barça, who are 13th in the table (73.1 possessions). He uses his speed as the basis for all-round aggression and has a fierce defense that causes the most losses among his rivals (15.4). In terms of attack, Manresa is the team in his ACB where he hits the most triples per game (32.2)

Despite the effectiveness of its style, a common feature of Manresa in recent years, its coach Pedro Martinez, I don’t believe it’s an invincible recipe. “I don’t think there are any revolutionary tactics. What’s important is that the players believe in it, and I’m grateful that the players, who are doing things they’re not comfortable with, have worked hard and shown a willingness to believe in this proposal. I’m very grateful and proud,” he explains.

Contrasting styles on rebound

Manresa has that aggressiveness and speed that also relates to his instincts to charge offensive rebounds. Pedro Martinez’s team has the best record in the league in this regard (by far the highest catch rate in the opponent’s ring at 33.8%). That may be one of the keys to playing against Barça. In his case, only Unicaja was better than second in the league in protecting the rim (72.9%).

The best defense is that of a champion

Among the rest of the teams mentioned in this cup competition, the level that the reigning champions, who are also the hosts this time around, have shown so far stands out. The Málaga team is in second place in the league, far behind third place (Barça), and above all else they are excellent defensively. He is the best rearguard in the Championship, conceding 102.3 points per 100 possessions. What is the secret to this effect? Well, unlike Manresa, they mostly focused on recovering the ball (second worst) or forcing turnovers to score shots and avoiding the opponent’s triples to lower their chances (least conceded goals). It’s a defense that doesn’t play well. Add to this the fact that they are the best team at shutting down defensive rebounds (74.2%), and you already have some of the keys to that strong performance.

Madrid shine in attack

For many, the big favorites will continue to be Real Madrid anyway. Real Madrid has been in the ACB and EuroLeague so far and has a great ability to win. As seen in the ACB, the best attack in this cup so far has been that of Los Blancos, scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions. Chas Mateo’s team will face the second-worst team in Attack of the Eight (UCAM), but they will base their effectiveness on a few key aspects: They will be able to base their effectiveness on several key aspects: free throw success; (83.4%), which is important when you’re throwing fifth. largely. He also shoots a lot of threes, and his percentage is also outstanding (36.7%, third best).