SOFIA — Real Madrid suffered a 102-98 defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Sofia, falling to 0-3 for the club's worst-ever start to a EuroLeague season. Los Blancos erased a 22-point deficit to pull level at 75-75 heading into the final quarter before Hapoel closed out the win.
Head coach Pedro Martinez pointed to two contrasting halves after the loss. “Two totally different halves. In the first half, our defense was poor; the result was a sluggish offense lacking rhythm or ball movement—it was terrible,” he said at the post-game press conference in Sofia.
Martinez credited the response after the break but lamented how the finish unfolded. “In the second half, we played with more aggression and managed to stage a comeback. It was very difficult because Hapoel is a highly experienced team. We managed to turn the game around and take a 2-point lead. At that point, we needed to rotate the squad, but the rotations didn’t work out. In the final minutes, Hapoel played intelligently — drawing fouls to get to the free-throw line — and deserved to win the game,” he said.
Looking ahead, Martinez called for unity and work without searching for blame. “We need to work together with a mindset focused on improvement. We need time to do better. It comes down to our day-to-day work and shifting our mentality — understanding that the situation isn’t easy. We must avoid making excuses or looking for someone to blame. We are a team through both the good times and the bad, and we need to improve,” he said. The loss follows Hapoel Tel Aviv's 102-98 win over Real Madrid that sealed the 0-3 opening.