Barcelona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Tips & Live Stream - Blaugrana bring down the Israeli giant

Nemanja Dojcinovic

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Last updated: Tue 06 Jan 2026 11:21

Nemanja Dojcinovic 06 Jan 2026

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Barcelona seeks redemption after two losses in EuroLeague.
Maccabi Tel Aviv faces setbacks despite recent form.
Barcelona welcomes back key players to strengthen the team.

Expired

Kevin Punter(Getty Images)

Barcelona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Preview
Barcelona Form & Team News
Maccabi Tel Aviv Form & Team News
Head to Head

Barcelona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Preview

In Round 20 of the EuroLeague, Barcelona will host six time European champions Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Palau Blaugrana.

After two consecutive defeats, Barcelona are eager to return to winning ways, but they will face an in form Maccabi side looking to join the fight for a play in spot.

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Barcelona Form & Team News

After a strong winning run following the return of Xavi Pascual to the bench, Barcelona suffered two straight losses. A painful defeat in Istanbul against Fenerbahce was followed by a heavy home loss to Monaco, 90:74, in the previous round.

From the opening tip, Barcelona were completely out of rhythm. They struggled to find their offensive flow, largely due to the excellent defensive performance by the visitors, especially against Barcelonas backcourt, which failed to create any advantages.

That this was more a bad day than a deeper crisis was proven by Barcelonas two wins in the ACB League. The victory against Zaragoza was never in doubt, but the win away against their biggest rivals Real Madrid on Sunday can only be described as enormous.

At one of the toughest road venues in Europe, Barcelona once again showcased excellent offensive basketball and team play, and despite the absence of several key players, managed to win 105:100.

Argentinian guard Nicolas Laprovittola, who has been struggling with injuries, played his best game of the season, leading the team with 19 points and 9 assists.

Kevin Punter, Barcelonas top scorer, added the same number of points, while Tomas Satoransky also

delivered a strong performance with 16 points and 5 assists.

Joel Parra also reached double figures with 13 points and 7 rebounds, while Willy Hernangomez narrowly missed a double double with 8 points and 10 rebounds.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Form & Team News

Bayern Munich ended Maccabi Tel Avivs five game EuroLeague winning streak last week, slowing their push toward the upper part of the standings. It was by far Maccabis worst performance of the season, resulting in a deserved and heavy 95:71 defeat.

Maccabis defense looked terrible against one of the weakest teams in the competition, while the offense also fell far below their usual level after the opening 10 minutes.

The Israeli side scored 23 points in the first quarter, but only 48 in the remaining 30 minutes. Their offensive output was clearly affected by the injury to Lonnie Walker, who played only six minutes, but that alone cannot justify such a poor showing.

Only one Maccabi player reached double figures in scoring, with starting forward Oshae Brissett finishing the game with 13 points.

According to the latest reports, Lonnie Walker has traveled to Spain with the team, which is a positive sign regarding his availability against Barcelona. Iffe Lundberg is in a similar situation, while Jeff Dowtin is facing a longer absence due to a foot injury.

Head to Head

In the first meeting this season, Barcelona recorded an easy 92:71 win at the Aleksandar Nikolic Arena. Willy Hernangomez led the Catalans with 19 points in just 14 minutes on the court.

Verdict

Barcelona v Maccabi Tel Aviv

After their league win against Real Madrid, Barcelonas players will be highly motivated to continue winning in the EuroLeague and make amends for the poor performance against Monaco in front of their home fans.

Barcelona should also be strengthened by the return of Dario Brizuela and Jan Vesely, who missed El Clasico due to illness, adding extra quality and depth to the roster.

If Barcelona approach this game with the right energy, I believe the visitors have little chance of pulling off an upset.