Hapoel Tel Aviv shock Real Madrid in EuroLeague opener in Sofia

Israeli basketball club Hapoel Tel Aviv produced one of the stories of the early EuroLeague season by beating Real Madrid 102-98 in a Round 3 fixture on 1 October 2026. The game was staged at a neutral venue in Sofia, Bulgaria, where Hapoel are playing their European home matches due to the ongoing security situation preventing games in Israel. The 200-point shoot-out saw Hapoel hold off a late Real Madrid charge to secure a signature European win over one of the most decorated clubs on the continent. The same night, Crvena zvezda beat Anadolu Efes 77-72 in Belgrade, Virtus Bologna edged Olympiacos 96-94 and Paris Basketball defeated Žalgiris 82-78, in a packed slate of continental basketball that trended across European sports sites.