Starting the year against Mega

Cedevita Olimpija is slowly ending its New Year’s stay in the Serbian capital. On Saturday at 19.00, the Dragons will face Mega Soccerbet in the Round 13 of the ABA League in the Ranka Žeravica Sports Hall.

In the introductory match of the new calendar year 2021, the players of Cedevita Olimpija will play Mega Soccerbet in the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall in Belgrade. The young and talented Mega team is currently one of the most positive surprises of the ABA League, and with nine wins and three defeats, it lags only behind the Mornar from Bar in the regional competition.

After the Belgrade team started the season with three victories in the opening five games, the Mega players have been playing great lately. They have suffered only one defeat in the last seven matches, and they are clashing with Cedevita Olimpija on the wings of two consecutive victories, against Budućnost VOLI and FMP. The most efficient Mega basketball players in the 2020/21 season are Filip Petrušev and Marko Simonović. The first averages 23.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists, while Simonović, who is developing with Mega as a loan player for Cedevita Olimpija, averages 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds.

Together with the captain of the Dragons, Jaka Blažič, Petrušev and Simonović, are at the top of the list of the most efficient basketball players in the ABA League. After five consecutive victories, the Ljubljana team suffered two defeats in the last week, the last one on Wednesday against FMP (88:91). The opportunity to get back on the winning track is thus offered on Saturday, but head coach Jurica Golemac’s team is waiting for hard work against the motivated Mega Soccerbet.

STATEMENTS AHEAD OF THE GAME:

Jurica Golemac, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“Maybe this moment is a bit inappropriate for us and for the fact that we will face the young and energetic Mega team, which is playing great this season. The team is very well managed and selected, and it also has two players in its ranks that we will be able to follow in the NBA in the future. At the same time, the whole team has a lot of good, as I would say myself, ‘basketball brains’. If we want to get a positive result, we will have to really work hard on the field, and play one of the best matches of this season.”

Kendrick Perry, player of Cedevita Olimpija:
“They’re a young team, very energetic. They play with a lot of heart, a lot of agression. We’re going to have to match their energy, if not do more, to compete with Mega.”

ABA LEAGUE, ROUND 13

Hala sportova Ranko Žeravica (Belgrade, Serbia), Saturday, January 2, at 19.00:
MEGA SOCCERBET – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

STANDINGS: