Crvena Zvezda and Hapoel Tel Aviv met in the EuroLeague on 29 September 2026, with the visitors taking a 81-80 victory in Belgrade. The result leaves the home side in tenth place with 21 wins from 38 games, while Hapoel move closer to sixth with 23 victories. By then, the standings had shifted in subtle ways that only matter once you watch the whole thing.
We had given Crvena Zvezda the edge at 70 per cent confidence, but the match went the other way. And here's the thing about basketball — you can count three-pointers and assists until your fingers hurt, but sometimes the game turns on something you cannot quantify. Hapoel's 9 made three-pointers against 8 for the hosts tells you part of the story, though not all of it.
The statistics show a different kind of efficiency from each side. Crvena Zvezda recorded 21 assists to 12 for Hapoel, while the visitors converted 22 free throws compared to 16 for the hosts. Turnovers mattered more than most would expect — Hapoel committed just 6 compared to 12 for Crvena Zvezda, and that discipline often decides tight games.
Rebounding tells another layer of the tale. The home side pulled down 47 boards to 35 for the visitors, with 15 offensive rebounds suggesting second-chance opportunities. To be fair, Hapoel's 5 blocks against 2 for Crvena Zvezda shows they protected their rim differently, and sometimes that matters more than sheer volume.
Recent form adds context without explaining everything. Crvena Zvezda had lost their last three games before this one, including defeats to Žalgiris and Subotica, while Hapoel came into the match with a 67-point win over Hapoel Be'er Sheva on 26 September. The visitors had also lost narrowly to Bayern Munich on 24 September, so momentum was not entirely on one side.
The final margin of one point means neither side can claim dominance. Hapoel's sixth-place position with 23 wins and 15 losses keeps them in the conversation for a higher finish, while Crvena Zvezda's 10th place with 21 wins and 17 losses suggests another season of grinding out results. The gap between them remains small, and basketball rarely delivers clean answers.
