Crvena Zvezda and Partizan will face each other in the first semi-final ABA League playoff match in just 20 hours. Red and white coach Saša Obradović is aware that the motivation level is always higher for both teams in these midweek encounters.

- It doesn’t matter who is in a better position, in a lower rhythm, or whose players are injured; it’s always 50-50, we know that. Even when Zvezda was at its best, we lost, but the reverse was true too. History has shown that there are no favorites. Good energy and mental presence will decide the winner, Obradović stated.

Obradović recalled moments from the previous Eternal Derby and then assessed whether it was beneficial for Zvezda to have struggled against Cedevita in the previous round.

- The previous match was dominated by Partizan’s defenders; we talked about how to better control them. That’s the main story. For us, maybe it wasn’t so bad to play against a challenging team like Cedevita. Instead of days off, we had matches, and that’s where our focus was. Whether better preparation or more days in preparation is better, it might be, but sometimes it’s not. We know what decides the winner, Obradović concluded.