Real Madrid Aims for Title in Costa del Sol Final Against Unicaja

Six days before the real business starts, Real Madrid step into a hostile Martín Carpena this evening with a clear mission: lift another trophy, and tighten a few final screws.

The XV Costa del Sol Tournament might be a preseason stop, but for a club wired like Madrid, it is also a dress rehearsal. At 7:00 pm (Realmadrid TV), they face Unicaja de Málaga in a final that arrives at exactly the right time, with the EuroLeague Super Cup semifinal against Dubai Basketball looming on Friday the 18th.

Madrid finding their rhythm

The signs from yesterday were loud and convincing.

Madrid beat La Laguna Tenerife 90-97, flipping the game after the break with a second-half surge that looked far more like late October than early September. The comeback carried the stamp of a team already absorbing Pedro Martínez’s ideas: sharper spacing, quicker reads, and a more aggressive offensive rhythm once they settled into the game.

At the heart of it all stood Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. The French swingman lit up the floor with 26 points and a performance index rating of 27, the kind of preseason statement that catches attention in any locker room. He didn’t just score; he tilted the game, giving Madrid a constant outlet whenever Tenerife tried to slow the pace or crowd the paint.

The reaction after halftime mattered. Madrid had to adjust, had to respond, and did so with authority. For a group still tuning itself for the season’s first official title, that kind of resilience is worth almost as much as the win itself.

Unicaja, new look, same ambition

Waiting for them now is a very different Unicaja.

The Málaga side opened the tournament on Thursday with an 80-76 victory over La Laguna Tenerife, a result that offered a first real glimpse of a team in full reconstruction. Eight players have departed, the coach has changed, and with that comes a new identity to forge in front of a demanding home crowd.

Txus Vidorreta now runs the bench, and his arrival alone signals a shift. He brings structure, experience, and a clear idea of how he wants his teams to compete. Around him, Unicaja have moved decisively in the market, bringing in seasoned names: Willy Hernangómez to anchor the interior, Pantzar to steady the backcourt, Brazdeikis and Noua to stretch defenses and attack mismatches, Hunt to add physicality and depth.

This is not a polished product yet, but it is a dangerous one. At home, with a fanbase eager to see what this new project can become, Unicaja offer exactly the kind of examination Madrid need at this stage: physical, emotional, and tactically demanding.

A final with more than a trophy at stake

For Madrid, the context is clear. The EuroLeague Super Cup semifinal against Dubai Basketball is just around the corner, and the countdown has begun. Tonight’s final is not just about adding a seventh Costa del Sol title to the club’s collection; it is about rhythm, roles, and refinement.

The win over Tenerife showed a team already capable of raising its level when required. Now comes a different question: can they impose themselves from the opening tip in a final, in a tough arena, against a rival desperate to make a statement in front of its own people?

The answer, one way or another, will echo into next week, when the season stops being a rehearsal and every possession starts to count.