Maccabi Tel Aviv Hosts Besiktas in Belgrade for EuroLeague Home Opener

Maccabi Tel Aviv Seeks Recovery Against Besiktas in Belgrade

Following its opening-round EuroLeague defeat to LDLC ASVEL, Maccabi Tel Aviv will play its first home game of the 2026/27 season tonight (Wednesday, 21:05), hosting Turkey's Besiktas in Belgrade. Like Maccabi, the Turkish side also lost its season opener, falling at home to Valencia.

Maccabi arrived in Belgrade late last night and headed straight to the team hotel. Today at noon, the squad will hold a shooting practice preceded by a tactical meeting, after which players will return to the hotel to rest ahead of the tip-off. Tomorrow afternoon, the delegation will fly to Athens in preparation for Friday's matchup against Panathinaikos.

Roster Updates and Team Preparation

One notable absentee is captain John DiBartolomeo, who traveled to the United States before the game to attend his brother's wedding. He will miss both upcoming EuroLeague fixtures and may also sit out this Sunday's Winner Cup semifinal against Hapoel Jerusalem.

Maccabi enters tonight's contest with a sense of urgency. Guard Keaton Wallace said before departing for Belgrade:

"We had a lot to learn from the first game. It is still early in the season, and we have a lot of development ahead and team chemistry to build. We need to keep improving individually and within the EuroLeague style, playing with more aggression and making better decisions."

Looking Ahead to a Tough Double Week

Teammate Jimmy Clark added:

"A double week is always tough, especially playing our 'home' games away from home, but we will make this our home, bring the energy, and play together for all 40 minutes."

Commenting on the ongoing efforts to bring EuroLeague home games back to Israel, Clark noted that experiencing daily life in Israel makes it clear that hosting matches locally should resume as soon as possible.