Basketball Serie A, 2026 starts with a bang: Italian Cup sprint and the big match in Bologna

The championship of LBA Serie A comes alive and inaugurates the new calendar year with the 14th daypenultimate act of the first round. Never before has the ranking been short and ruthless like this year: if the tandem is at the top The power of Bologna – Germani Brescia seems to have taken off, behind them is a real sport trap.

The dominant theme of the weekend of January 3-5 it will be the hunt for the last passes for the Final Eight of the 2026 Italian Cup. With the two leaders already secure in their places, together with Milano, Venezia e Tortonaand with Trapani virtually qualified thanks to 10 victories on the field (despite the penalty), they remain only two seats for seven suitors. Among the 12 points of Trieste e Napoli and the 10 points of the chasing group (Udine, Cremona, Varese, Trento, Sassari) there is a very thin thread. Anyone who makes a mistake now risks being left out of the Turin event.

The match: Virtus Bologna – Trapani Shark

On Sunday evening at 8pm, the Segafredo Arena will host what is, to all intents and purposes, a top-level clash. There The power of Bologna (22 points), fresh from the solid victory in Trieste, wants to defend its lead and confirm its status as favorite for the Scudetto. From the other side comes one Trapani Shark (15 points) wounded pride. The surprising home defeat against Varese in the last round showed the first cracks in the Sicilian battleship, which appeared less brilliant than usual. For the Sharks, winning in Bologna would mean sending a message of strength to the championship: “we can beat anyone, anywhere”. The duel between the physical defense of the Vu Nere and the explosive attack of the guests will be interesting, as they will have to do without the field factor to try to achieve the feat.

Fire Saturday: Varese dreams of the hookup

The advance on Saturday (6.15pm) between Openjobmetis Varese e Naples Basket worth a season. The Lombards are the “hottest” team at the moment: the feat at the PalaShark has galvanized the environment and a victory would allow them to reach 12 points precisely at the expense of the Neapolitans, sensationally reopening the Final Eight discussion. Napoli, who beat Cantù in the pre-Christmas derby, must win to secure eighth place and keep their pursuers at a distance. A challenge that promises high pace and high scores.

Sunday: final exams and salvation clashes

The Sunday program is full of ideas. There Dinamo Sassariregenerated by the external blitz in the direct clash in Treviso, hosts the league leaders Brescia (4pm). The Sardinians believe in the Italian Cup comeback, but they will find a wounded Germani who does not want to give way to Bologna for the solitary summit. At 5pm, Trento e Trieste they play everything: whoever loses risks saying goodbye to the Cup. The Trentino team are coming off a bad home defeat against Udine and are in a crisis of results; Trieste must find the path to success again after the stop against Virtus to defend seventh place. THE’Olimpia Milanwhich returned solid with the victory over Cremona, awaits at the Forum aUdine in confidence (6pm), capable of surprising outside shots. The challenge at 7pm between is very delicate Cantu e Tortona: the Brianza team, second to last with 6 points, can no longer make mistakes if they want to avoid relegation, but Derthona (third force in the championship) aims to consolidate its position in the playoff grid.

Monday: the Derby of desperation (for Treviso)

The postponement of the Epiphany (Monday 5th, 8.00 pm) is a triveneto derby with dramatic contours for the guests. There Reyer Venicehurt by the 104 points conceded in Brescia, receives the NutriBullet Treviso. The hosts are looking for redemption to consolidate fourth place, while for Treviso it is almost a last resort: last alone with 4 points after the defeat against Sassari, the Marca team needs a feat at Taliercio to avoid seeing salvation slip away irremediably.

Program of the 14th day

Saturday 3 January

• Openjobmetis Varese – Napoli Basketball (ore 18:15)

Sunday 4 January

• Dinamo Sassari – Germani Brescia (ore 16:00)
• Dolomiti Energia Trento – Trieste Basketball (ore 17:00)
• Vanoli Cremona – UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia (ore 17:30)
• Olimpia Milan – APU Udine (ore 18:00)
• S.Bernardo Cantù water – Bertram Derthona (ore 19:00)
• Virtus Bologna – Trapani Shark (ore 20:00) – Also on TV on Sky

Monday 5 January

• Umana Reyer Venice – Universo Treviso (ore 20:00)

Updated Ranking (after 13 rounds)

The top 8 at the end of the 15th round go to the Final Eight

1. The power of Bologna 22 (11-2)
2. Germani Brescia 22 (11-2)
3. Olimpia Milan 18 (9-4)
4. Umana Reyer Venice 18 (9-4)
5. Bertram Derthona 18 (9-4)
6. Trapani Shark 15 (10-3) penalized 5 points
7. Trieste Basketball 12 (6-7)
8. Naples Basket 12 (6-7)
9. APU Udine 10 (5-8)
10. Vanoli Cremona 10 (5-8)
11. Openjobmetis Varese 10 (5-8)
12. Dolomiti Energia Trento 10 (5-8)
13. Dinamo Sassari 10 (5-8)
14. S.Bernardo Cantù water 6 (3-10)
15. UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia 6 (3-10)
16. Treviso Universe 4 (2-11)