Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Zalgiris Tips & Live Stream - Zalgiris Face a major away test against the leaders

Nemanja Dojcinovic

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Last updated: Mon 29 Dec 2025 09:40

Nemanja Dojcinovic 29 Dec 2025

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Hapoel leads EuroLeague, dominant with a 13-5 record.
Zalgiris struggles with inconsistency, excels on the road.
Both teams meet first time this season; Hapoel slightly weakened without Vasa Micic.

Expired

Edgaras Ulanovas(Getty Images)

Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Zalgiris Preview
Hapoel Tel Aviv Form & Team News
Zalgiris Form & Team News
Head to Head

Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Zalgiris Preview

EuroLeague leaders Hapoel Tel Aviv will host Zalgiris Kaunas in their final game of the year, as part of Round 19 of the competition.

Can the Israeli side secure another home win in front of their fans, or will Zalgiris claim yet another important victory on the road?

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Hapoel Tel Aviv Form & Team News

Everything is going according to plan for Hapoel Tel Aviv in their debut EuroLeague season.

After 18 rounds, the Israeli club sits at the top of the standings with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses, and all indications suggest they will finish the year in first place.

Following a road loss in Athens against Panathinaikos, Hapoel quickly returned to winning ways with a routine 82:72 victory away in Munich against Bayern. That was already their seventh road win of the season, another statistic that places them among the EuroLeague elite.

Even Bayern’s coaching change and the expected reaction from their players did not help much, as they were up against a disciplined and physical Hapoel team that gave their opponent virtually no chance to end their negative run.

Despite the absence of their biggest summer signing Vasa Micic, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury, Hapoel Tel Aviv had few problems, as the rest of the roster delivered strong performances on both ends of the floor.

Once again, Elijah Bryant led the way with an excellent all around display, finishing the game with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

He was well supported by Dan Oturu, for whom Bayern’s centers had no answer. Oturu ended the game with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Antonio Blakeney and Chris Jones also reached double figures with 12 points each.

Zalgiris Form & Team News

Zalgiris continue to show inconsistency in both performances and results. After a historic win over Partizan, the Kaunas side suffered yet another home defeat, already their fourth of the season at Zalgirio Arena. This time, Panathinaikos came away with a comeback win, prevailing 92:85.

The first half did not suggest such an outcome, as Zalgiris, led by the strong play of Moses Wright and Nigel Williams Goss, built a lead of as many as 14 points.

However, everything began to fall apart late in the third quarter, when the visitors erased the deficit in just a few minutes and shifted the momentum completely. Zalgiris’ offensive production suddenly stalled, while Panathinaikos found their rhythm on offense and turned a double digit deficit into an 11 point advantage.

Zalgiris attempted to cut the gap and make the finish more interesting, but Panathinaikos left no room for a late comeback.

Former Olympiacos duo Moses Wright and Nigel Williams Goss were the most efficient players for Zalgiris with 22 and 17 points respectively.

They also received solid support from Edgaras Ulanovas and Laurynas Birutis, who combined for 21 points while missing only three shots from the field.

This time, the team’s main star Sylvain Francisco struggled badly, scoring just three points and making only one of his seven field goal attempts.

Head to Head

This will be the first of two scheduled meetings between these teams. The return game will be played on February 13 in Round 28, with Zalgiris hosting in Kaunas.

Verdict

Hapoel Tel Aviv v Zalgiris

For some reason, Zalgiris have arguably been slightly better on the road this season. Olympiacos are the only team that completely outplayed them, while Zalgiris managed to beat Monaco, Barcelona, and Paris, and also played a one possession game against Real Madrid.

Although Hapoel Tel Aviv keep winning, they have shown a slight dip in form over the past few weeks, and despite their deep rotation, the absence of a player of Vasa Micic’s caliber could be felt. I expect the visitors to be competitive and remain within striking distance until the very end.