FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.03.2010 22:55

Real Madrid in the quarter finals

Verònica Díez

Regal Barça will meet Real Madrid in the quarter final play-offs of the Euroleague after beating Partisan on Thursday evening in the last game of the Top 16.

Xavi Pascual’s side finished in first place in Group E and lined up a clásico meeting with Los Merengues to decide which of them will make it through to Paris and earn a place in the Final Four.

The first two games between Barça and Madrid will be held in the Palau Blaugrana and then the next two will be in the Spanish capital, with the Catalan side at home once more should a fifth encounter be required.

It is a repeat of the events during the 2005-06 season when Barça won through to the Final Four and went on to lift the trophy in Prague. In what was the best of three games, the Blaugrana won the first and third matches at home, 72-58 and 76-70, and tasted defeat, 84-78, in Madrid.

Difficult run

Despite losing three times in the Top 16 this term, Real Madrid made it through to the next stage. Their first match saw them only manage to beat Efes Pilsen 77-70 before they were beaten in Israel by Maccabi Elextra. Montepaschi Siena then recorded a win and things looked bleak for Los Merengues, but they bounced back with a victory over the Italians and then Efes Pilsen before being beaten this week once again.