The story so far: Cluj Napoca won 78-50 in the first leg in Cyprus and must feel very confident they will advance to Qualification Round 2, where Usak Sportif awaits the winner of this tie.

U-BT CLUJ-NAPOCA vs. PETROLINA AEK - Thursday at 18:00 CEST

CLUJ-NAPOCA (Basketball Champions League) – The Larnaca coach and players felt compelled to apologise to their fans following the end of the Tuesday game because their performance bared no resemblance to their promising displays in pre-season friendlies.

But the 28-point was more a testament to the strength of Cluj-Napoca rather than the Cypriot side’s weakness. Remarkably, the Romanian side committed 21 turnovers and still picked up such a big win, showcasing their wealth of options on offence where five players scored in double digits, led by Vlad Moldoveanu’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Unfortunately however for Cluj-Napoca, their shooting guard Nandor Kuti has likely suffered a fracture and will not take part in the Thursday game while he will also be sidelined for Qualification Round 2, should they advance.

“We are taking this series very seriously and we will ready to win again in the second game, this time at home,” said one of Cluj-Napoca’s most experienced players, former Serbian international guard Aleksandar Rasic.