Real Madrid vs Olympiacos: Analysis and Prediction – Real Madrid will play against Olympiacos in the EuroLeague semifinals.
Real Madrid vs Olympiacos Odds
Real Madrid Team News
Real Madrid has been flawless so far this season. They won the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, swept Baskonia in the EuroLeague quarterfinals, and secured a spot in the Liga Endesa semifinals after eliminating Gran Canaria by 2-0. Now, they head to Berlin to compete for the most prestigious European trophy.
It’s been a long time since any team in the EuroLeague looked as dominant and powerful as Real Madrid this season. From the very beginning, it was clear to everyone how superior they were compared to all other teams in Europe. The return of Facundo Campazzo further enhanced an already formidable team. Sergio Llull has looked even better this season than in previous years at the same time, and Dzanan Musa has continued to improve. Mario Hezonja was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team, as was Walter Tavares. A potential issue at this Final Four could be the absence of the injured Gabriel Deck, but Guerschon Yabusele, who was suspended last year when the trophy was won, will be particularly motivated. The Sergio Rodriguez-Vincent Poirier connection has consistently provided good minutes off the bench for head coach Chus Mateo, and this could be a crucial weapon against Olympiacos.
There is no doubt that Real Madrid players are brimming with confidence and belief that they will defend their title in Berlin. They outplayed Olympiacos last year when the Reds had a better team on paper, and there is no reason to expect a different outcome now. Los Blancos must be ready for the opponent’s aggressive defense, knowing that the Greeks will try to slow the pace and reduce the number of possessions in the game.
Olympiacos Team News
Olympiacos has had an identical run to Real Madrid. They won the Greek Super Cup and Greek Cup by defeating Panathinaikos both times, and they advanced to the semifinals of the domestic league. They have qualified for the EuroLeague Final Four for the third consecutive year for the first time in their history, and now they seek revenge for last year’s final loss.
Unlike Real Madrid, who only upgraded their roster with the return of Campazzo, Olympiacos had to completely redesign their offense. The departures of Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Sloukas led to a different hierarchy. Initially, Isaiah Canaan and Alec Peters were the most productive thanks to their good long-distance shooting, but as the season progressed, Olympiacos’ offense increasingly relied on the interior game. Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov have excellently fulfilled their roles, while Filip Petrusev and Moses Wright added extra quality when they signed for the team. Shaq McKissic also ignited certain aspects of the game on both ends of the court when he returned from a long injury and was the key player in Game 5 against Barcelona. The defensive intensity brought by Thomas Walkup is well known, as is the experience of Kostas Papanikolaou. These are two players who will undoubtedly be the loudest on the court, and much is expected from Nigel Williams-Goss, who has hit many tough and important shots in recent years.
Olympiacos lost the EuroLeague title in the most painful way possible 12 months ago. Sergio Llull’s game-winning shot is probably still in the dreams of many Olympiacos players and head coach Georgios Bartzokas, but now they have a chance for revenge. To achieve that, they will need to play their best defensive 40 minutes of the season because they don’t have enough offensive talent to outplay Real Madrid in a high-scoring game.
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Real Madrid vs Olympiacos H2H
Real Madrid outplayed Olympiacos in both matches this season, giving them three consecutive victories against the Reds, including last season’s EuroLeague final win.
Absences and Injuries
Gabriel Deck will not play for Real Madrid due to injury. Olympiacos has all players available.
Real Madrid vs Olympiacos Prediction
There is no doubt that Real Madrid is a team with exceptional offensive potential, but Olympiacos demonstrated in the quarterfinals against Barcelona that excellent defense can outplay excellent offense. With Fall and Milutinov they can certainly match, if not outplay, Tavares and Poirier, meaning that much will depend on their shooting percentages from long range. If Olympiacos’ perimeter players can hit their shots, they will have hope. In any case, we believe their desire for revenge will be strong enough to keep the game close until the very end, offering us an ultra-dramatic finish.
Tip-off Time: Friday, 24.05.2024, 21:00 CET
Prediction: Olympiacos +5.5
Odds: 1.90
Sportsbook: 22Bet
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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