Efes and Real Madrid, both off defeats, meet in a tight Euroleague rivalry

Two European heavyweights arrive in Istanbul carrying identical baggage: both are L-L-W in the last 3 games, and both were beaten most recently. Anadolu Efes fell 89-82 at Barça Basket, while Real Madrid were edged 78-77 by BC Dubai — a one-point defeat that will sting all the way to the Basketball Development Centre.

The head-to-head says this fixture rarely stays comfortable. Real Madrid hold the edge, winning four of the last seven meetings, including the two most recent — 82-71 in March and 81-75 in December. Yet the margins tell the real story: half of those seven games were decided by six points or fewer, from Efes' 90-89 escape in 2023 to Madrid's 130-126 shootout in 2024.