A Challenging Away Game ahead of Cedevita Olimpija

On Wednesday at 7:30 PM, Cedevita Olimpija will face JL Bourg in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, in Round 16 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. This matchup will be a direct battle for the playoffs.

The team departed Dubai early Monday morning local time, traveling first to Lyon, France, and then continuing to Bourg-en-Bresse on Tuesday. Entering this round, the Dragons hold second place in Group B with 10 wins and 5 losses, while JL Bourg sits in sixth place with two fewer victories.

Last week, the Ljubljana squad made significant strides toward not only securing a playoff spot but also a direct quarterfinal berth by defeating Hapoel and Lietkabelis in Bulgaria and Lithuania, respectively. Fans of the Slovenian champions will also be keeping an eye on other key games in Round 16, particularly Cluj vs. Turk Telekom and Umana Reyer vs. Hapoel.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS

Zvezdan Mitrović, Head Coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“JL Bourg is an excellent team, a finalist from last season, and they’ve shown strong performances this year, as we experienced firsthand when they defeated us in Ljubljana. Our Wednesday game holds great significance for both sides, and we expect our opponents to be highly motivated and eager for a win. This will be our fifth game in ten days and our fourth consecutive away match, so we’ll see what condition we’re in. Regardless, we aim for another victory.”

Jaka Blažič, Captain of Cedevita Olimpija:
“This will be the last of our four consecutive away games, this time in France. We need to continue with the same rhythm as in our previous games. After the Dubai match, we’ve had some time to prepare and recover. The game against JL Bourg is crucial in the playoff race, and we’re eager to step on the court.”

TV BROADCAST

The game will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1, with pre-game coverage starting at 6:45 PM.

GAME PREVIEW

The Wednesday match marks Cedevita Olimpija’s fourth consecutive away game. The team has been on the road across Europe and the Middle East since last Monday. The Dragons first traveled to Bulgaria, where they beat Hapoel Jerusalem 74:70 on Tuesday. This was followed by a trip to Lithuania, where they convincingly defeated Lietkabelis 88:78 on Thursday. The week concluded in Dubai, UAE, with an 85:84 victory over the home team on Sunday.

Under coach Zvezdan Mitrović, the team has won all six games since the start of the 2025 calendar year. Last week’s EuroCup victories brought them closer to a playoff spot, their first since 2022. Up next is an away game against last season’s EuroCup finalist.

Cedevita Olimpija and JL Bourg have faced each other seven times in the EuroCup since 2019, twice in the Top 16 and five times in the regular season. Their last encounter was on November 6 this season when the French team won 90:83 in Stožice. However, Ljubljana holds the better overall record with four wins in their seven matchups.

JL Bourg started this EuroCup season strong, winning their first four games. They enter Wednesday’s match on a two-game winning streak, including a 79:66 home victory against Lietkabelis on January 7 and a dominant 92:51 win over Aris in Thessaloniki last week. In the French league, JL Bourg recently faced EuroLeague team Paris and lost 89:98, but they bounced back with a 76:70 win over Strasbourg last Friday.

Their standout player this season has been Xavier Castaneda, averaging 14.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. He has scored in double digits in all EuroCup matches this season, including 16 points against Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana.

BKT EUROCUP, REGULAR SEASON ROUND 16

Ekinox (Bourg-en-Bresse, France), Wednesday, January 22, 7:30 PM:
COSEA JL BOURG-EN-BRESSE – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (Live on Šport TV 1)

LOOKING AHEAD

After the game in France, the Dragons will return to Ljubljana. They will host Mornar-Barsko zlato on Sunday at 6:00 PM, followed by Valencia Basket on Tuesday at 6:30 PM in their final home game of the EuroCup regular season. Tickets for both games are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.