Madrid seeks the eleventh against coconut Olympiacos
The whites face their twentieth final, fourth against those from Piraeus
MADRID, 20 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Olympiacos and Real Madrid will play this Sunday (7:00 p.m.) at the Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas the last game of the 2022/23 Euroleague, the duel for the title between first and third place in the Regular Phase, between some Greeks seeking their fourth title against a Real Madrid that dominates the list of winners and is 40 minutes, except for extension, from its eleventh crown.
It will be the fourth final between Olympiacos and Real Madrid, with a 100-89 victory for the Hellenes in 2013 (in London) and two for the Spanish team, which beat them in Zaragoza 1995 (73-61, with the Lithuanian Arvydas Sabonis as MVP) and Madrid 2015 (78-59).
The overall balance is also favorable to Real Madrid, but the two direct duels in the Regular Season this season had rojiblanco colours. In Piraeus the result was 73-60 and, at the WiZink Center in Madrid, 87-89 with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the ‘MVP’ of this campaign; Bulgarian Sasha Vezenkov.
All this is already past. As is the fact that Olympiacos finished the Regular Phase first and Real Madrid third, with only one win less. Or that the Greeks suffered more than expected against Turkish Fenerbahçe and that Real Madrid had to make a feat to overcome a 0-2 loss, and win three straight games, against Partizán Belgrade to reach this Final Four.
It is true that Real Madrid came to this meeting in Kaunas somewhat more punished after that tremendous series against Partizán and their historic comeback in search of their eleventh trophy. But that fatigue became an incentive, a plus, against his eternal rival in the semifinals; a Barça that they defeated going to more.
Chus Mateo’s men had the most differential version of Walter Tavares (20 points, 15 rebounds and a PIR of 39) to overcome, as they did in 2022 also in the ‘semis’, Barça 66-78. Obtaining the ticket for the historic and record 20th final of the Euroleague against the great rival was, without a doubt, another injection of morale.
Now, they face an Olympiacos that many see as a favourite. At least, just before this final duel. “It is an honor to compete against a team like Olympiacos, which is a basketball machine. They play incredible, they are very solid and they have known each other very well for a long time,” said the white coach, Chus Mateo, of his rival in the round of pre-final press.
Meanwhile, Olympiacos wants to win what would be their fourth European Cup. They won one against Real Madrid, too long ago. The last two were in 2012 and 2013. A fresher memory that is still alive, since the coach, Georgios Bartzokas, achieved that last Euroleague and he did it against Real Madrid, precisely.
“I can’t say that I feel like it’s fate. Basketball changes every day,” said the Greek coach in the preview, asked about that duel from a decade ago. “Today it is completely different. “We are 10 years older and we are different people. I really want to enjoy the momentum, the moment, this great battle against a great club like Real Madrid,” he said.
In the ranks of Olympiacos the spotlight will be again, above all, on the Bulgarian power forward Sasha Vezenkov, by virtue of having been chosen as MVP of the competition in its Regular Phase, being the top scorer in this Euroleague, averaging 17, 2 points per game and sporting an average rating of more than 21 credits.
In the ‘semi’ against Monaco, which Olympiacos won 76-62, the Bulgarian went to 19 points. He was the top scorer for his team, who had to sweat to overcome a bad start to the game (29-41 at halftime) and end up enjoying it, with a historic 27-2 run to put things in place and earn the right to look for his fourth Euroleague.
And, things of fate, it would be against Real Madrid and in 2023, against the same rival and ten years after his last conquest. That is if Real Madrid allows the forecasts to be confirmed, since the whites are between eyebrows about that eleventh Euroleague and recovering a throne that they have not stepped on since 2018, when they beat Fenerbahçe in Belgrade.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
OLYMPICS: Sloukas, Canaan, Papanikolaou, Vezenkov and Fall –possible starting quintet–; Lountzis, Popes, Tsamis, Larentzakis, Walkup, Bolomboy, Peters, Black and McKissic.
REAL MADRID: Williams-Goss, Causeur, Musa, Ndiaye and Tavares — possible starting quintet–; Hezonja, Hanga, Llull, Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez, Cornelie, Abalde and Randolph.
–REFEREES: Pukl, Vilius and Difallah.
–PAVILLION: Zalgirio Arena.