Real Madrid vs Hapoel Tel Aviv Prediction 29 April 2026

Real Madrid are entering a crucial phase of the season following three victories in their last five EuroLeague games. The team averages 87.9 points per game while conceding around 83. Notably, there's been a recent improvement in their offensive play, with Scariolo's squad averaging 91 points over the last 10 games. However, Madrid's primary strength lies in their formidable home performances, boasting an impressive 18 wins out of 19 EuroLeague matches. A minor setback is that they will face Hapoel with a limited number of fans in the stands due to the situation in the Middle East.

In addition to their EuroLeague success, Real Madrid are performing exceptionally well in their domestic league, where they comfortably lead the standings. In the recent round, they secured an away victory against their main rival Valencia (96-82). Earlier, in the final round of the EuroLeague regular season, they defeated the strong Crvena Zvezda (103-82). Hezonja and Campazzo were the top scorers with 19 and 16 points, respectively. The team also converted 36% of their three-pointers, underscoring it as one of their main weapons (they rank third in the tournament for three-point accuracy at 37.9%). Their rebounding on their own end is even more impressive, leading the EuroLeague with 25.7 per game. Thus, Real Madrid's status as favorites for the first matchup against Hapoel is well-founded.

Hapoel Tel Aviv approaches the playoff stage in a somewhat contradictory state. On one hand, they've managed to secure a spot in the EuroLeague's Top-6 during the regular season. On the other, only two victories in their last five matches across all competitions raise concerns. While Real Madrid, despite their recent progress in creating opportunities, fundamentally rely on a solid defense, Hapoel is quite the opposite, building their game around offense, averaging 94.1 points over their last 10 games. Spring brought additional challenges with a forced relocation to Sofia due to the tense situation in the Middle East, meaning they will host all their home games in the Bulgarian capital for the rest of the season.

In the final round of the EuroLeague, Itoudis' squad suffered a clear defeat to Monaco (85-105), already assured of a knockout round spot after a previous victory against local rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv (99-88). The team boasts a well-coordinated and skilled roster featuring European superstars like Bryant and Micic. However, Micic has had a lackluster campaign, only showing signs of revival this month. Yet, the Israeli side has its weaknesses, most notably their poor rebounding performance-Hapoel ranks second-to-last in the tournament with just 32.9 rebounds per game. Against Real Madrid, this shortcoming could easily prove fatal.