Hapoel Tel Aviv Opens EuroLeague Campaign Against Bayern Munich in Sofia

Hapoel Tel Aviv Opens EuroLeague Season Against Bayern Munich

Hapoel Tel Aviv is set to kick off its second consecutive EuroLeague season on Thursday at 19:00 at the Arena 8888 in Sofia, hosting German powerhouse Bayern Munich. The Reds enter the new campaign after reaching the playoff stage last year, where they were eliminated by Real Madrid.

The team held its final training session in Sofia on Wednesday afternoon. Hapoel received a significant boost with the return of Elijah Bryant and Eugene German, both of whom missed last Thursday's Supercup derby due to illness.

Head coach Dimitris Itoudis currently has 14 fit players available for EuroLeague action out of a 15-man roster, while Tomer Ginat remains sidelined with an injury. Out of the active group, the coach will need to drop two players from the final matchday squad.

Preparing for a Tactical Reset

Following a heavy defeat in the Supercup, the club management and coaching staff expect a completely different approach against Bayern. Hapoel understands that any lack of focus could spell trouble, even against a Bavarian side considered on paper to be an underdog in this matchup.

"We are happy to start the season," said head coach Dimitris Itoudis. "We would have preferred to be in Tel Aviv, which is our home, but we are grateful to Sofia for hosting us for another year. We hope the EuroLeague will return to Tel Aviv soon."

Itoudis added: "We are playing against a team with a lot of experience that has added talented veterans. We are looking for the right chemistry and balance. We need to recover from our recent loss, but we are very enthusiastic. We appreciate the fans who are traveling all this way to support us."

Opponent Overview and Squad Depth

Bayern Munich has also undergone a major roster overhaul this summer, having lost to Hapoel in an Italian tournament final less than two weeks ago.

MarJon Beauchamp and Niels Giffey are expected to miss the game for the German side, while guard Devin Washington remains questionable. Rokas Jokubaitis returns to the EuroLeague stage after a year away, playing his first continental match since leaving Maccabi Tel Aviv. The backcourt is further bolstered by Kamar Baldwin, Justus Hollatz, Andi Obst, and Justinian Jessup.

In the frontcourt, Bayern relies on newcomer Myles Norris from Barcelona, the experienced Oscar da Silva, and veteran Vladimir Lučić. Under the basket, they feature former Hapoel Jerusalem center Austin Wiley alongside German national team stars Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann.

Hapoel faced Bayern twice last season: securing an easy away win in Germany before suffering a heavy defeat at Yad Eliyahu in a game that marked a low point in their domestic and European campaign.