Photo Gallery: CSKA vs Virtus (Italy)

CSKA vs Virtus: 80-65

In the past week CSKA earned two Euroleague victories: over Real Madrid and Virtus Bologna. The margin of victory for the Army team was roughly the same in both games. In Madrid CSKA won by 13 points, in Moscow by 15.

However, it is hard to imagine two games more dissimilar from one another. The setting, the main players; everything changed in six days. In Madrid the Army team was playing catch-up for most of the game and only managed to even the score in the middle of the fourth quarter. In Moscow CSKA immediately took the initiative and built a solid lead by halftime. With the score 32-16 in favor of home team, it seemed to be a repeat of CSKA’s last home game against EURAS, which turned out to be a 44-point blowout. But it was much too early to make such predictions for the Virtus game.

None of the Real Players were able to get going offensively against the CSKA defense, while Virtus forward Matjaz Smodis played an outstanding game against the Army team, netting 26 points, 7 rebounds and drawing 9 fouls.

It was not certain in the game against Real that either team would win until the final minutes. The crowd was completely into the game. In Moscow small groups of fans were headed for the exits after the end of the first half, figuring that CSKA’s 15-point lead meant the victory was already in the bag. They weren’t too far off. However, Virtus did everything they could to prove otherwise, and did a lot to make the last CSKA’s last home game in the Euroleague regular season a memorable one, in spite of the fact that the Italian club led only once in the entire game - at the very beginning.

Finally, the difference between the Real game and the Virtus game was in the standings. In Madrid CSKA had to win in order to secure first place in the group. In Moscow there was no such extra motivation. But nonetheless the team put on a worthy show for their fans. And it wasn’t just the team leaders - Holden, Alxander, Chatzivrettas—but players who haven’t seen the floor much in the Euroleague and got a chance to show their stuff against Virtus.