Real Madrid vs Unicaja: Costa del Sol Tournament Final Preview
Real Madrid sharpen their edge tonight in Málaga, stepping into the Martín Carpena for the final of the XV Costa del Sol Tournament against hosts Unicaja de Málaga (7:00 pm, Realmadrid TV). The timing could hardly be more pointed: less than a week remains before the official curtain rises with the EuroLeague Super Cup semifinals against Dubai Basketball on Friday the 18th.
This is preseason on the schedule, but not in the intensity. Madrid are chasing their seventh Costa del Sol title, and the sense is clear: this is no gentle warm-up jog, it’s the last hard sprint before the real race begins.
Madrid finding their rhythm
The signs from yesterday were encouraging. Madrid overturned La Laguna Tenerife 90-97 with a second-half surge that looked far more like a team in mid-season sync than one still tuning up. The comeback had structure, patience, and then a cutting edge when it mattered.
At the heart of it stood Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. The Frenchman lit up the floor with 26 points and a performance index rating of 27, a statement outing that gave shape to Pedro Martínez’s evolving blueprint. His scoring bursts broke Tenerife’s resistance and underlined what this version of Madrid might become: athletic, aggressive, and ruthless in transition.
The style is already recognisable. Defensive pressure feeding fast breaks, spacing that stretches the court, and a rotation that looks increasingly comfortable with the coach’s demands. With the EuroLeague Super Cup looming, every possession now carries a hint of rehearsal for higher-stakes nights.
Unicaja, rebuilt and dangerous
Waiting for them is a very different Unicaja side to the one Madrid have grown used to facing. The Málaga club has ripped up much of last season’s script. Eight players have departed, the coach has changed, and with that comes uncertainty – and danger.
Txus Vidorreta is now in charge, a coach who knows how to build competitive teams quickly. His first steps in Málaga already have a clear marker: an 80-76 win over La Laguna Tenerife in Thursday’s opening game of the tournament. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was solid, organised, and hinted at a team that will not need long to find its identity.
Unicaja have not just changed; they have reinforced with experience. Willy Hernangómez brings size, scoring touch, and a presence around the rim that can tilt matchups. Pantzar offers control in the backcourt, Brazdeikis adds scoring versatility on the wing, Noua stretches defenses with his shooting, and Hunt injects energy and physicality. It’s a spine built to compete immediately, not in some distant future.
For Madrid, that means a genuine examination. Hernangómez’s battle inside, the perimeter duels with Brazdeikis and company, and the tactical chess with Vidorreta’s schemes will all serve as a sharp test of where Martínez’s team truly stand.
Final tune-up before the real thing
The context gives tonight an extra layer. This is the last serious dress rehearsal before the EuroLeague Super Cup semifinal against Dubai Basketball on Friday. Rotations will tighten. Roles will crystallise. Mistakes that were tolerated a week ago will now be noted, corrected, and remembered.
Madrid want the trophy, of course. A seventh Costa del Sol title would fit neatly into the cabinet. But the real prize is rhythm, chemistry, and the feeling of a group arriving at the start line already at full speed.
Málaga will not make that easy. A packed Martín Carpena, a refreshed Unicaja, and a coach in Vidorreta who relishes these stages ensure that this final carries the bite of a competitive fixture, not the softness of a mere preseason date.
By the time the lights go down tonight, we will know a little more about both projects: how quickly Unicaja’s new era can take shape, and how ready this Madrid side truly is for the demands waiting just around the corner.
