AEK, Peristeri discover Basketball Champions League knockout opponents
AEK will face Bonn in the Round of 16 of the Basketball Champions League, while Peristeri have been pitted against Israeli giants Hapoel Jerusalem.
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On Tuesday afternoon, the draw for the Round of 16 of the Basketball Champions League took place, with AEK placed in a pairing with Bonn and Peristeri drawn against Hapoel Jerusalem:
“I think that the most important thing is to stay healthy and be in good shape,” stated AEK boss, Ilias Papatheodorou, after the draw was made. “Bonn is a German team, they compete at a high tempo and like to play with intensity. We will prepare for the matches in the best possible manner. Our sole aim is to qualify for the next phase of the competition.”
Peristeri head coach, Nikos Papanikolopoulos, admitted that Hapoel Jerusalem are favourites to progress :”Hapoel are one of the favourites of the entire competition, and the level of the Basketball Champions League is very high at this stage. Of course, it will be a very difficult challenge for us, but all teams have their own strengths and weaknesses. Hapoel Jerusalem are the best attacking team in the tournament.”
All 16 teams will compete in best-of-three series, with the eight winners subsequently advancing to the quarter-finals. The Round of 16 will begin on March 3rd and conclude (at the latest) on March 18.
Teams which finished in the top two positions of their respective groups during the regular season will play the first and third legs of the Round of 16 at home. In Group B, AEK earned second spot behind Hapoel Jerusalem, while Peristeri claimed fourth place of Group C.
In the event that they progress, AEK will take on Nymburk or Bandirma in the quarter-finals, whereas Peristeri will face either Dinamo Sassari or San Pablo Burgos.
AEK, who recently became champions of the Greek Cup, won the Basketball Champions League title in the 2017/2018 campaign. Peristeri, on the other hand, are making their competition debut.
PAOK were eliminated in the regular season as they finished in seventh place of Group D.
Full draw result for the playoffs of the 2019/2020 Basketball Champions League:
AEK will face Bonn in the Round of 16 of the Basketball Champions League, while Peristeri have been pitted against Hapoel Jerusalem. #BasketballCL #Road2Final4
