Red Star vs Paris Tonight: Hifi Misses Trip to Belgrade

Paris arrived in Belgrade last night without Nadir Hifi, and Red Star host them tonight at 8 p.m. in Belgrade Arena, in round six of the EuroLeague. The team’s best player did not travel with the rest of the squad.

Where is Hifi, and who else will miss out?

Nadir Hifi had been listed as questionable with an ankle injury, and reports now say he is out, since he did not arrive in Belgrade with his teammates. He also sat out the previous round on Wednesday, when Paris lost at home to Virtus Bologna 96-94. He averages more than 20 points in the EuroLeague, along with 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

The sources do not fully agree. Novosti lists him as definitely absent, while RTS wrote that his status would stay uncertain until the game itself, and Mozzart Sport still mentions him as questionable. The only certain thing is that he did not travel with the team.

The visitors are also without Frank Ntilikina, who has been out with muscle problems since round two. That leaves Paris coming to Belgrade missing two names from the injury list.

Red Star are not at full strength either. Center Jonathan Motley has been out since round four with a thigh muscle injury, and the availability of Ebuka Izundu and Stefan Miljenovic is in doubt. Nikola Djurisic, Dejan Davidovac and Patrick Baldwin have returned to training.

What kind of season are the two teams having?

Red Star have three wins and two losses. They opened with defeats to Zalgiris (83-77) and Hapoel Tel Aviv (81-80), then turned the run around: they beat Anadolu Efes 77-72, won away at Dubai 77-58, and took Asvel 84-82 on points scored in the final seconds. Three straight wins carry Ibon Navarro’s side into the game against Paris.

Paris have two wins and three losses. They began with defeats to Panathinaikos (91-72) and Partizan (92-79), then beat Zalgiris 82-78 and Asvel 98-96. Then came the two-point home loss to Virtus.

The head-to-head record is 3-1 for Red Star. In April 2026 the red and whites won 94-81, while Paris won 102-92 in December 2025. Paris has yet to win in Belgrade, and will try to change that tonight without its best player.

What does Navarro say?

Navarro is not counting on an easy night, even with Paris weakened. Ahead of the game he listed what worries him about the visitors:

“Paris is one of the teams that forces the most turnovers, one of the teams that scores the most points off opponents’ turnovers, and one of the best teams on the offensive glass. We are coming off a game against a team that averaged 32 three-pointers per game, and these guys average 36. On top of that, in their previous game they took 40 shots from three. That demands concentration and intensity. If we think everything will happen by itself, that the game will fall into place because that is how it has to be, we will make a big mistake,” said Red Star coach Ibon Navarro.

Navarro added that his team has a long road ahead in the EuroLeague and that the season will have its ups and downs.

“The hardest thing is to stay focused on the next game, especially when everything looks black or white. There is no room to relax. We have to focus on the things we did well, but also on the ones we did not. Those mistakes are exactly what matters and we have to fix them before the next match. When you play a team that demands so much concentration and effort, that is definitely the hardest part,” the Spaniard said.

Mozzart Sport writes in its day preview that Red Star are the favorites, especially in Belgrade, and that everything is in their own hands to claim another significant win.

What comes after Paris?

According to RTS, the red and whites are on the rise ahead of the eternal derby in the next round. Partizan lost to Fenerbahce 74-65 on Thursday.

The rest of Friday in the EuroLeague: Besiktas and Bayern Munich tip off at 7 p.m., as do Zalgiris and Efes, Panathinaikos host Hapoel Tel Aviv at 8:15 p.m., and Barcelona play Olympiacos and Virtus play Baskonia at 8:30 p.m.