Pedro Martínez: Valencia Fell Short Against Real Madrid

Valencia coach Pedro Martínez expressed his disappointment after the team's loss to Real Madrid in the EuroLeague semifinals. The "Oranges" lost 90-105 in their debut in the Final Four of the prestigious European tournament.

"We were far below the level we wanted to achieve in this match. Real Madrid had a great game. They were very accurate from three-point range and made the difference with their defense. We were not consistent, and this allowed them to get second-chance opportunities," said Pedro Martínez.

Real Madrid's Strong Defense and Valencia's Struggles

"Overall, it's difficult to play well against Madrid. We beat them earlier, but recently, they have been playing well and disrupting our rhythm. The strong defense of Madrid is felt. They take away our identity," the Valencia coach explained.

"Now it's hard to be positive. First, we need to win and compete better than we did. Real Madrid played very well. Two triples from Abalde, Feliz's contribution, and so on. These weren't decisive factors, but they affected us mentally. They took us out of the scenario we had planned. In the second half, when they started playing with versatile players under the basket, it was hard for us to adapt. We waited more for their mistakes than showing good defense. When everything was open, we couldn't dominate," analyzed Martínez.

Looking Ahead and Preparing for Future Matches

"They turned Tavares' absence into an advantage. This allowed them more space, more opportunities to play one-on-one. We fought, the players put in a lot of effort. And now? We shouldn't consider the season over. We need to prepare for the next games. Look forward. Be critical of the played match and the things we need to improve," highlighted the specialist.

"Next week we have three games, and we need to be competitive in all three. We will tackle it day by day. Now we need to recover from this and not think too far ahead," concluded Pedro Martínez.

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