Joventut to host Hapoel Holon behind closed doors at Pavello Olimpic
Match to be played behind closed doors
Joventut Badalona will host Hapoel Holon at Pavello Olimpic on Wednesday, but the game will take place without spectators. The club said the decision follows local authority advice and concerns about potential protests, with safety being the top priority.
Standings, recent moves and what to expect
Hapoel Holon head into the regular-season Round 5 sitting 4-0 in Group C under coach Daniel Miret. A victory would put them 5-0 and secure the top seed and a spot in the Round of 16. The visitors, currently 2-2, are fighting to stay in contention for first place or at least to clinch a play-in berth.
Due to security issues, Holon have been staging their home fixtures away from their usual arena, playing in Szombathely’s Schaeffler Arena Savaria and travelling for other matches as needed. Their final regular-season home game against Bursaspor is scheduled in Samokov on December 17, and plans for the later stages of the competition remain fluid.
Joventut recently extended forward Henri Drell’s contract through January 19. The 25-year-old is averaging about 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in the Champions League and adds experience from previous spells in the competition. Domestically, Ricky Rubio and his teammates have also gotten off to a strong start, posting a 5-2 record in the Liga Endesa regular season.
With the arena closed to fans, the atmosphere will be different than usual. Expect both teams to focus on fundamentals — defense, ball security and disciplined execution — in what should still be a competitive and tactical matchup.
