Real Madrid falls 102–98 to Hapoel Tel Aviv in Sofia for worst European start in 68 years

Defensive collapse in the opening half

Real Madrid suffered a 102–98 defeat against Hapoel Tel Aviv on 1 October 2026 in Sofia, marking their third consecutive road loss in the 2026–2027 EuroLeague regular season. The Israeli club staged the fixture at their temporary venue in Bulgaria. Hapoel established an early advantage by opening a 22–10 lead in the first quarter behind Zach Leday, who scored 13 points in the opening period. Hapoel center Bruno Caboclo pulled Walter Tavares away from the paint, converting all four of his three-point attempts during an offensive burst. Mikael Jantunen struggled to contain Leday's combination of inside scoring and outside shooting, though points from Chuba Okeke briefly trimmed the gap to nine. By the fifteenth minute of play, Real Madrid had already surrendered 50 points to Dimitris Itoudis's offense.

Halftime deficit and tactical changes

Hapoel maintained their scoring pace by adding 34 points in the second quarter, propelled by 14 points from guard Vasilije Micic. The Spanish side conceded 63 points across the first two quarters, heading into the halftime break trailing by 20 points. Tension surfaced as Tavares sat on the bench midway through the second quarter in visible frustration, while Facundo Campazzo kicked an advertising board after missing a buzzer-beating layup. Pedro Martínez altered his lineup by inserting Alberto Abalde into the defensive rotation to stem the scoring. Caboclo collected four personal fouls in eight minutes on the court, forcing Itoudis to adjust his frontcourt rotation before Hapoel pushed their lead to 22 points early in the third quarter.

Madrid third-quarter rally

Real Madrid responded by erasing the 22-point deficit with an intensified defensive effort that forced several offensive fouls on Hapoel. Point guard Theo Maledon guided the attack, generating 26 points, seven assists, and five rebounds to finish with a 40 performance index rating. Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot contributed 21 points on the wing, while Tavares anchored the interior with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Madrid's defensive recovery limited Hapoel's halfcourt execution and allowed the visitors to briefly claim the lead late in the third quarter. The rapid turnaround followed a ten-day period since Madrid won the Supercopa title, showcasing an offensive rhythm that matched Hapoel's perimeter scoring.

Closing minutes and historical record

Hapoel steadied their offense in the fourth quarter through Elijah Bryant, who finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and a 40 valuation rating. Bryant and Micic executed two-man sets down the stretch to exploit mismatches and recover the lead for the Israeli team. The result gave Hapoel a measure of revenge after Madrid eliminated them in the EuroLeague playoff quarterfinals the previous season. The defeat marks the first time in 68 years that Real Madrid has opened a European campaign with three consecutive losses, following previous road defeats against Dubai and Anadolu Efes in Istanbul. Head coach Pedro Martínez will look to secure his first EuroLeague victory of the season when Madrid hosts Partizan next Thursday.