CSKA is 3-2 in the Euroleague

For the third time in last two weeks CSKA wins a game against a rival that did not experience any losses in the tournament. This time Real that was 4-0 in the Euroleague was the victim. The loss made Panathinaikos the only leader in the group C. CSKA won despite the fact the team did not start the game well and the rival defended in a good way. But the Army club defense was organized even better and that was the key for the game.

CSKA - Real Madrid: 64-52

CSKA head coach Ettore Messina

- We did not start the game well. The team was a bit surprised with Real way of defense, a very physical one with a lot of contacts, and it took a while to get used to it. But as soon as we took an advantage we lost one of the main players – Matjaz Smodis. This is the reason why in the second half we were forced to play with four guards on the court. I am very happy with the way we did it. We played a smart game and we put our heart into it.

How long would it take Matjaz Smodis to recover?

- It is not the same injury it was two weeks ago. Despite the fact that the same leg, the same ankle is hurt that is not the same. Matjaz just twisted his leg in a wrong way when one of the Real players was about to land on it after the jump. It looks like the injury is not that serious but it would be known for sure after a test. Anyway we would give him several days to recover and most likely he would not participate in the games against Soyuz and Lokomotiv.

CSKA guard Trajan Langdon

- It was an important win for us tonight. It was a difficult game, sometimes 24 seconds of ball possession were not enough for both teams to carry out a combination. We had some shots that didn't fall in but we played a good defense and came out with a good win.

CSKA center Aleksey Savrasenko

- This game was rather nervous for us. It's normal, games against Real are always very principal for our club. But we tried as hard as we could to get that win and we did it. Defense was the main reason of our victory. Real big men didn't play their best basketball today too. And despite a perfect performance from Igor Rakocevic, we were definitely a better side on the court.