Six days after his disappointing Eurobasket, Theo Maledon has successful debut with Real Madrid

Six days after his disappointing Eurobasket, Theo Maledon had a successful first preseason game with Real Madrid this Saturday, September 13. Coming off the bench in this preparation match, the French point guard tallied 11 points on 3/6 shooting, 6 assists and 2 rebounds for a 15 performance index rating (19 in EuroLeague rating) in 17 minutes, contributing to his team’s victory against Zaragoza (94-64).

El partido de THEO MALEDON

18 Minutos
11 Puntos
3/6 Tiros de Campo
2 Rebotes
6 Asistencias
19 Valoracion pic.twitter.com/EI1LSf8jfx

— Iñaki López (@lopezinak) September 13, 2025

A difficult start but quick domination

This game was also Sergio Scariolo’s first on Real Madrid’s bench, 23 years after his departure. The former Spain national team coach led his new team to a 30-point victory in the Segovia Ciudad Europea del Deporte trophy final. In a packed Pedro Delgado pavilion with 2,500 spectators, the Italian coach could count on the successful debuts of his new recruits, German David Krämer and French Theo Maledon.

✨Debut con nuestra camiseta ✨
1️⃣2️⃣ @Theo_Maledon
1️⃣ David Krämer pic.twitter.com/1I3Bn12bKk

— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) September 13, 2025

A controlled finish despite tension

The game started imprecisely, as expected during preseason. Zaragoza, struggling with their three-point attempts, quickly fell behind a Real Madrid where Sergio Llull and Theo Maledon started making the difference. The gap quickly widened to reach 16 points at halftime (43-27).

👏 Primera canasta en juego de @Theo_Maledon con nuestra camiseta 👏 pic.twitter.com/c7MfcuCDu3

— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) September 13, 2025

Jesús Ramírez’s team tried to come back (-11) at the start of the third quarter thanks to an inspired Santi Yusta, but it was just a mirage. Real, with an excellent three-point percentage reaching 50% by the end of the game (13/26), definitively sealed the game’s fate by extending their lead to 25 points.

The 64-39 score at the end of the third quarter led to a more physically intense final ten minutes, though Real Madrid never lost control. The rotations perfectly fulfilled their role, particularly in defense which sometimes left Zaragoza desperate.

The absence of Soriano was felt in Zaragoza’s interior game, where only Yusta and young Langarita showed flashes of quality. Real Madrid, relying on Andrés Feliz‘s direction and with Okeke demonstrating his outside shooting quality, calmly finished the game to win 94-64.

Argentine Facundo Campazzo with 18 points, American Chuma Okeke and Dominican Andrés Feliz with 16 points each were the top scorers for a Real Madrid that remains undefeated in preseason after victories against Alba Berlin and Malaga in the Costa del Sol Trophy.

🗣️ FACU CAMPAZZO sobre la llegada de THÉO MALEDON y lo que aportará al Real Madrid: pic.twitter.com/xWcMFIJTG7

— Sergio Martínez Urcelay (@Sergio11Mtnez) September 13, 2025