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Varese have lost their last two games by a total of 64 points

The Italian team are trying to catch the last train for second round. Ulm have only lost against Valencia so far and are under a lot less pressure

Varese are definitely a shadow of themselves from last season. There have been many changes to the team but the replacements that were brought in were considered even better players. For now, that doesn't show as Varese are playing very poorly and have gotten only 4 wins in 11 games  so far.

They are at the bottom of the table with a 1-3 ratio and their only win came against Paris. Today's game is their last chance to stay in combination for Top 32. But considering their last two games, their chances do not seem very high. They were humiliated by Valencia in the last round by 98-64 and the defense was non-existent. The home team did what they wanted and the game was already settled at half-time. Only shooting guard Coleman and center Hassell had a good evening.

They played their last game against Sassari in the league and they suffered a new blow as the home team overran them by 105-75. It was another tragic evening for Fabrizio Frates's team, with 22 turnovers and yet another non-existent defense. The winner was known at half time once again and De Nicolao, Ere and Hassel were the only positive spots of this evening. Now they have to wake up as they have the last chance that would take them to Top 32 but the question is how motivated they will be since losing energy in Europe could cost them the championship.

The club chairman Vescovi announced their following game.

- Sasari reacted to their previous defeats against us and now we must do the same. We have three consecutive home games and a chance to get back on the right track. I expect a big game and we must win at all costs if we want to maintain our chances. We have to get back after the severe blows we suffered and I expect the team to react.

The atmosphere in the opposing HQ is very much different. Ulm have got four wins in all competitions. They've only lost the game against Valencia so far and a possible new win would put them one step closer to round two.

They had a thriller in the Bundesliga this weekend against  Ludwigsburg. Even though they lost their power forward Matt Howard, this didn't distract them as their slightly shorter team quickened up the pace of the game. They weren't too great in defense and allowed 51 points by half-time. The second part of the game was equally rapid.

The last quarter decided the game as Ulm scored 34 points, mostly due to solid offensive performance by center Daniel Theis who gave them the crucial lead in the final part of the game. Back-up Edgar Sosa also played a significant role, scoring 19 points, while Theis got 12 and Cameron Long added 16. Three-pointers were Ulm's weapon of choice and their efficiency was 10 out of 18.

Ulm brought Howard to Italy but it will be decided right before the game if he starts or not.

- Varese are one of the best Italian teams. Individually speaking, they are much better than us. One could compare them to Ludwigsburg - their point-guards score lots of points and are good one-on-one. We definitely have to stop them and play a much better defense than against Ludwigsburg. Varese are our big chance to gain advantage in away wins ahead of the second phase of this round of Eurocup - said coach Thorsten Leibenath.

Sosa added: 

- With two wins in the league, and the wins against Olipmija and Paris, we are becoming better and better as a team. We have to stay focused if we think we have a chance against Varese. This is a good team with plenty of international experience.

One could see Varese's problems against Sassari's run and gun play. Ulm are also a faster-paced team, they have a good transition and there is no reason they would give up their tactics.

The departure of their dominant center John Bryant to Bayern has only made Ulm's game faster and forced them to base their game on fast transition and perimeter shots. The team is organized so that anyone but the centers can score a 3-pointer and represents a threat from outside. They have got 3 wins in the Eurocup so far and now they are not under much pressure. This weekend, they scored over 100 points and imposed their rhythm against Ludwigsburg that are renowned as a defensively-oriented team. Before that, they played a game with over 160 points and went over this margin against the defensive specialists from Ljubljana. Against Paris, they were left at 78 points but that was a far more convincing team than Varese. The Italian team conceded 105 against Sassari this weekend, and before that 98 against Valencia and 85 against Asvel at home. It is obvious their form and defense are not doing well and they are nowhere near the level from last season. Their type of game should be good for Ulm who could go over 80 points with their usual game.