The last time Surne Bilbao Basket secured a victory at the Palau Blaugrana was in early 2020, a win that helped them qualify for the last Copa they participated in. Today, the 'men in black' return to Barcelona's challenging home court, seeking to take a step forward in their ambition to finish the regular Liga among the top eight, an aspiration bolstered by their recent triumph over Unicaja.

At this point in the season, most teams in those top positions have other commitments that increase physical and mental demands. While the Bilbao team has the FIBA Europe Cup final in ten days, the Catalan side is coming off a loss in Monaco on Friday and will play for their Euroleague survival next week. Nevertheless, a Liga Endesa match always requires full attention, and that is what coach Jaume Ponsarnau has asked of his players, as this could be a unique opportunity to defeat one of the competition's giants, even if they are not at their best moment.

Barcelona, looking to solidify their playoff position, is missing Satoransky and Laprovittola, but still has plenty of arguments to make the game difficult for Surne Bilbao. Coach Xavi Pascual is known for his extensive tactical volume, often focused on neutralizing the opponent's strengths, as seen in Miribilla. Juan Núñez, after a long injury, has returned in time to provide relief at the point guard position, and in other areas, the Catalan squad possesses the physicality, talent, and experience to perform and win, even under the worst circumstances.

Therefore, Surne Bilbao does not expect a lesser version of Barcelona and knows they will need to play a great game to secure a victory. Such a win would adorn their excellent season and provide an extra boost in what is proving to be a very demanding battle. The Bilbao defense will have its work cut out controlling the one-on-one situations of Punter, Brizuela, and Clyburn, even if they are often indefensible, and simultaneously closing down their zone and rebounding against an interior game that produces a lot from Shengelia's low-post situations. However, the 'men in black' will also need to be brave in trying to impose their rhythm and be accurate in their offense to extend the game as long as possible.