Valencia can make the best start to a EuroLeague season in the club's history on Thursday night, but Bayern Munich arrive at Roig Arena with a backcourt built to make that milestone uncomfortable. The hosts are 7–3 after ten rounds and have never reached 8–3 in the competition. Their first home game in 16 days, tipping off at 8.30pm local time on 12 November, is more than a welcome return: it's a test of how well their fast, high-scoring attack holds together with two important forwards still unavailable. Valencia's match preview confirms the fixture and the chance to set a new club mark.
Valencia have won seven of their past eight matches across competitions and their three most recent road games. That run has put them third in the EuroLeague despite a reshaped squad and a change of coach in the off-season. TJ Shorts has given the attack a direct, quick-thinking organiser, while Armoni Brooks provides another perimeter threat. But the next step isn't simply pushing the tempo. Bayern have won three of their six European away fixtures, including a 99–95 victory at ASVEL last week, and they're capable of making a game feel very different from the league table.
The visitors' biggest problem is also their most interesting strength. Bayern sit 17th at 3–7, yet they're among the EuroLeague's best two-point shooting sides, converting 57.5 per cent inside the arc. Duane Washington averages 15.2 points in fewer than 20 minutes, largely from the bench, and makes 2.4 threes per game at 45.2 per cent. Andreas Obst adds 2.2 triples at 43.1 per cent. If Valencia's defenders overcommit to the first drive, Bayern have the shooting to punish the recovery. The Spanish club's scouting breakdown details both players' production and the visitors' efficient finishing.
There's a second layer to that threat. Rokas Jokubaitis and Justus Hollatz are carrying the primary playmaking duties after Kamar Baldwin's departure. Jokubaitis has described limiting Valencia's transition game as a priority, and Bayern coach Anton Gavel has singled out Shorts without reducing the task to a one-man defensive assignment. Bayern's official preview makes the tactical problem clear: stop the first burst, get back in numbers and defend for the full possession. That sounds straightforward until Shorts changes direction and the ball is already moving towards a shooter.
Valencia's frontcourt is where Bayern can apply the most pressure. Nikola Mirotic remains out with a left adductor problem and Nate Reuvers is unavailable with a left-foot issue. Mo Gueye could return after missing three matches with right-foot discomfort, but that possibility isn't a confirmed selection. Without two established bigs, the hosts will need Dylan Osetkowski, Neal Sako and their supporting forwards to finish defensive possessions rather than allowing a second chance. Bayern's Austin Wiley comes off a 22-point, nine-rebound performance against ASVEL; his work around the basket gives the visitors another route to points when the perimeter is crowded.
For Valencia, the temptation will be to turn the game into a race. The team averages roughly 96 points in Europe and has a guard group that can create an advantage before a defence is set. But pace only helps if the rebound is secured first. Bayern have already shown they can win away from Munich; Valencia have shown they can keep scoring through absences. The contest may be decided by which side controls the handful of possessions between those two identities: a Bayern offensive board that stops a Valencia break, or a Valencia stop that sends Shorts into open court.
History favours the home side, though not by enough to play the game for them. Valencia have won all six previous competitive home meetings with Bayern, most recently 90–64 last season. Their only home defeat to any German club came against ALBA Berlin in December 2020, the last time they had a chance to reach 8–3. The Round 11 fixture listing puts the latest meeting back at Roig Arena. Valencia have earned a shot at a new benchmark; Bayern's combination of outside shooting and interior efficiency will make them earn the win as well.
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