Real Madrid Preseason Showdown Against Unicaja in Málaga
Real Madrid sharpen their edge tonight in Málaga, stepping onto the Martín Carpena floor with a preseason trophy on the line and a bigger target in sight.
The XV Costa del Sol Tournament final against Unicaja de Málaga (7:00 pm, Realmadrid TV) lands less than a week before the EuroLeague Super Cup opener against Dubai Basketball. The calendar leaves no room for gentle warm-ups now. This is dress rehearsal territory.
Madrid building rhythm, and an identity
Real Madrid arrive on the back of a demanding win over La Laguna Tenerife, a 90-97 comeback that said more about their state of readiness than any training session could.
They trailed, they adjusted, and they overran Tenerife after the break. The second half belonged to a Madrid side that looked increasingly comfortable in the recognizable structure and tempo that Pedro Martínez demands. Defensive focus tightened, the ball moved with more purpose, and the shot selection sharpened as the minutes ticked by.
At the heart of it all stood Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. The Frenchman lit up the game with 26 points and a performance index rating of 27, the kind of assertive, all-court display that instantly changes the feel of a preseason. That is not just fitness work; that is a player staking a claim before the serious games start.
Madrid’s aim tonight is simple: lift this tournament for the seventh time and, more importantly, keep stacking habits that will carry into the Super Cup semifinals on Friday the 18th (6:45 pm). The results matter, but the way they arrive at them matters even more.
A new-look Unicaja, same demanding arena
Waiting for them is a very different Unicaja from last season, but one that has already shown bite. On Thursday, the Málaga club opened the tournament by edging La Laguna Tenerife 80-76, a tight, competitive game that underlined how quickly this revamped roster is coming together.
Unicaja have undergone a deep rebuild. Eight players have departed, the coach has changed, and with that, the entire dynamic of the locker room and the floor. Txus Vidorreta now leads the project, bringing his trademark intensity and tactical clarity to Martín Carpena.
He is not starting from scratch in terms of talent. Unicaja have brought in experience and quality: Willy Hernangómez as a reference inside, Pantzar to steady the backcourt, Brazdeikis and Noua to stretch and attack defenses, Hunt to add depth and presence. It is a group designed to compete immediately, not to wait for months of adaptation.
For Madrid, that means tonight is far from a routine preseason outing. The Martín Carpena will not treat this like a friendly. It rarely does. The atmosphere, the new faces on the Unicaja side, and Vidorreta’s drive to stamp his authority on the team turn this into a serious exam.
Final tune-up before the real thing
So the stakes are layered. A trophy on the table. A chance to claim the Costa del Sol Tournament for the seventh time. Another opportunity to embed Martínez’s style under live fire. And one last high-level test before Dubai Basketball and the EuroLeague Super Cup open the competitive season.
Preseason is almost over. Tonight in Málaga, the margin for excuses starts to disappear.
