Barça receives Olympiacos with calm and ambition
BARCELONA, 9 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça receives Olympiacos this Wednesday at the Palau Blaugrana (8:30 p.m.), on matchday 20 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, with the intention of continuing the good streak achieved with the victories against Real Madrid and Baskonia and moving further away in the classification to the Greeks, who also arrive in Barcelona at a good time.
Last week was a balm for Barça. A clear turning point to follow. From now on, starting with Olympiacos, the objective must be to continue that offensive success, that defensive precision, that not not disconnecting from the games at specific moments.
With the tranquility of having won the last two games and the hope and ambition of being able to beat another rocky rival, Barça receives Olympiacos ready to continue on the ascending line of the game to gain even more morale. Although the Piraeus team will not make it easy.
Without Álex Abrines, suffering from pubalgia and whose presence in February's Copa del Rey in Malaga, and with James Nnaji doubtful due to physical discomfort, this Barça seeks to continue growing. Third in the table, one victory behind Virtus Bologna and still four behind the leader Real Madrid, they have at least managed to turn off the red emergency light.
“There was something different last week, we were better. I hope it is a definitive click, we are taking a very good upward trend that must be consolidated in these games,” commented the Blaugrana coach, who against Olympiacos wants to see the game shown against Real Madrid and Baskonia.
Now, in front of them, they will have an Olympiacos team that is fifth with just two wins less than Barça. Without a doubt, a direct rival for being seeded in the 'Playoffs', and whom they already beat in the first round in 68-77 at the Peace and Friendship Pavilion. A defeat that the Greeks will want to leave behind by paying Barça in the same coin.
Those from Piraeus have just beaten AS Monaco by a tight 75-73, led by Thomas Walkup, who had 9 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds, and by Isaiah Canaan's 16 points or Alec Peters' 14. A lot of scoring, in several hands, in the men of the former Barça coach, Georgios Bartzokas.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
BARÇA: Laprovittola, Satoransky, Kalinic, Parker and Vesely –possible starting quintet–; Paulí, Brizuela, Hernangómez, Nnaji, Sarr, Jakubaitis and Parra.
OLYMPICS: Canaan, Walkup, Papanikolaou, Peters and Fall –possible starting quintet–; Williams-Goss, Larentzakis, Mitrou-Long, Brazdeikis, Petrusev, Milutinov and McKissic.
–ÁRBITROS: Boltauzer, Jovcic y Zamojski.
–PAVILLION: Palau Blaugrana.
–TIME: 20.30/Movistar+.