Ettore Messina on facing ALBA: 'We need to find physicality and the quality of our defense' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: BasketNews/D. Repečka Credit BasketNews/D. Repečka

After losing three games in a row in EuroLeague, AX Armani Exchange Milan wants to get back on track tonight when they'll play on the road against ALBA Berlin.

AX Armani Exchange Milan / Schedule

AX Armani Exchange Milan Olympiakos Piraeus72-93 ALBA Berlin AX Armani Exchange MilanFri19:00

Coach Ettore Messina introduced the game, explaining how his team needs to find a certain level of physicality again.

"It's gonna be a difficult game," coach Messina said. "We come from three straight losses, and we need to find again our physicality and the quality of our defense to improve our game also on the offensive side."

Against ALBA, there'll be the debut of newcomer Ben Bentil, who arrived from Bahcesehir to give some depth in the frontcourt after the injury of Dinos Mitoglou.

"With a couple of training sessions, we tried to insert Bentil in our team, and we're confident that he'll be able to give us a contribution right away, we have to face the absences of Mitoglou and Tarczweski," coach Messina explained.

ALBA is a high-tempo team and facing their rhythm will be a challenge for Milan, as coach Messina said to the reporters.

"ALBA is a team which relies a lot on movement, with and without the ball, and high tempo, it's a team who used to play well with Coach Aito, and they keep doing it with coach Gonzalez, so we know it's gonna be a tough game," the Italian concluded.

Nicolò Melli, the co-captain of the team, said before the game that the team needs to get back on track after the recent losses:

'We suffered three straight losses, so our goal is to get back on track. We know that it's going to be a difficult game because in EuroLeague, every game is difficult, especially on the road", Melli explained.

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