KAUNAS (Euroleague) - Joan Plaza shot to fame as a coach at Real Madrid several years ago.

Now the head man at Zalgiris Kaunas, the tactician will try to shoot down his old team in a pivotal Turkish Airlines Euroleague game for the Lithuania club on Thursday night.

Earlier in the Top 16, Zalgiris travelled to the Spanish capital and almost sprung an upset but fell, 75-74.

Having won three of their last four games in the competition, Zalgiris are 4-5 in the Top 16 and firmly in the hunt for a spot in the Quarter-Finals.

"They are a physical team with strong inside players, to which we must add (Lithuania international Robertas) Javtokas, who recently got back in the team," Real Madrid's Spain international point guard Sergio Rodriguez said on the club website.

"They are also talented outside, making it a complicated game for us."

While it won't be the first time that Plaza has faced his former side, it will nevertheless be special.

He won coach of the year honors after leading Real Madrid to a ULEB Cup and Spanish league double in the 2006-07 campaign, his first in charge.

After three years at Madrid and three more at Cajasol Sevilla, where he faced Real at least twice a season, Plaza decided to leave his homeland for the Baltics.

Zalgiris should be full of self-belief after winning in Spain last week at Unicaja Malaga.

Madrid are cruising towards the Quarter-Finals with eight wins in nine Top 16 games.

FIBA