MoraBanc Andorra Controls ACB Fate, Needs Win Over Barça to Avoid Relegation

MoraBanc Andorra heads into the final Liga ACB matchday outside the relegation zone and in control of its own destiny, needing only a win over FC Barcelona on Friday at Pavelló Toni Martí to secure survival.

The team escaped the drop zone after its 88-116 victory at Hiopos Lleida on the penultimate day, combined with Casademont Zaragoza's 86-98 home defeat to Valencia Basket in a postponed Jornada 31 fixture. Analysts now give Andorra an 87.5% chance of staying up, with the side dropping to Primera FEB in just one of eight possible outcomes: a loss to Barça alongside wins for Dreamland Gran Canària at Valencia and Zaragoza at Río Breogán de Lugo. A defeat could still suffice if either Gran Canària or Zaragoza stumbles, and Andorra holds the tiebreaker edge in a potential triple tie at 10 wins. Coach Žan Tabak dismissed scenarios entirely. "I don't do maths—we have a game against Barça and we need to win it," he said, crediting sporting director Francesc Solana for the calculations. He emphasised mental preparation amid external noise. "There is internet, journalists, Instagram, friends, agents... and unfortunately the players are listening to them more than me," Tabak noted, stressing the need to focus solely on their matchup.

Barça, sitting fourth with five straight wins, seeks playoff seeding despite Xavi Pascual's confirmed departure at season's end. The Catalans dominated the earlier meeting 102-71 under Pascual, led by Joel Parra's 24 points and Kevin Punter's 20. Valencia, third and chasing top seeding after a EuroLeague Final Four run, holds sway over Gran Canària's fate with ex-Andorra guard Jean Montero in its ranks. Zaragoza, with nine wins and 24 losses, faces the steepest path against mid-table Lugo (15-18), who recently ended a three-game skid.

Tabak praised the Lleida response after a prior Burgos loss left the squad reeling, but urged balance. "When the team is down, I lift them; when they're flying, I bring them back to earth," he said. Kyle Kuric's 28-point explosion there, including 5-of-6 from three, lifted him to 15th on the ACB all-time list with 695 triples, passing Chicho Sibilio's 693. The Pavelló Toni Martí expects its sixth sellout of the season. Gran Canària coach Néstor Che García voiced optimism ahead of Valencia, while Barça's Juani Marcos, fresh off 18 points, called it a "very tough" clash.

**FC Andorra football update:** The side ended its Segunda campaign with a 0-2 loss to AD Ceuta at Nou Estadi de la FAF in Encamp, finishing 13th. An early red to Petxarroman forced a backpass error by Nico Ratti for the opener, followed by a VAR-confirmed second. Coach Carles Manso criticised referee Óliver de la Fuente Ramos for stoppages but hailed the season's success in avoiding relegation early despite injuries and absences. A thin squad meets seventh-placed Burgos next Sunday.