After a highly successful week in which they achieved the desired 2/2 against Alba Berlin and Bayern Munich respectively, Olympiacos travels to Valencia (8/2, 21:30) for the 26th action of the Euroleague this year.
The first of two away tests for Giorgos Bartzokas’ team, as the match against Zalgiris in Kaunas follows.
The result of today’s match against Valencia is expected not only to play an important role for the position that Olympiacos will pay in the regular season, but also to give the answer as to whether the red and whites will (finally) manage to put an end to the Spanish … a curse that haunts them this season.
From last year’s 7/8 to this year’s 0/7
On the 25th of January, Olympiakos, who had been absent for many years, fell heroically in Madrid against the European champions, Real. A result which, in addition to the score losses, etc., also extended this year’s black record of the red and whites against Spanish teams to 0-7.
A completely different situation to what was happening last year when the Piraeus also counted four consecutive doubles on Spanish soil recording a total of seven wins in eight matches.
The only defeat that the later doubles champions Greece had against the Spaniards in last year’s regular season was in the SEF game against their current opponent. (72-73).
The results of Olympiakos against the Spanish teams in the regular season 2022-2023:
Barcelona – Olympiacos 70-80
Real Madrid – Olympiacos 87-89
Baskonia – Olympiacos 92-97
Olympiacos – Valencia 82-83
Olympiacos – Real Madrid 73-60
Valencia – Olympiacos 85-92
Olympiacos – Barcelona 77-70
Olympiacos – Baskonia 86-78
The results of Olympiakos against the Spanish teams in the regular season 2023-2024:
Olympiacos – Barcelona 68-77
Olympiacos – Baskonia 74-75
Olympiacos – Real Madrid 71-77
Olympiacos – Valencia 56-63
Barcelona – Olympiacos 86-78
Baskonia – Olympiacos 80-69
Real Madrid – Olympiacos 90-85
The improbable 7/7 at home to Valencia points the way
Tonight, Olympiacos is hosted in a venue where it would not be an exaggeration to say that it feels like home. And the language of numbers also “shouts” this with Giorgos Bartzokas’ team counting seven wins in its last seven visits to Iberia.
So with the “alliance” of the above tradition and the momentum, the red and whites want to break the… curse and get a very important victory on the way to the top six and why not to the top four.
After all, with a victory tonight, Olympiacos will not just be sneaking glances, but will be heading towards it at full speed.
The seven wins in Valencia:
Balentia – Olympiacos 78-90 1/15/04
Balentia – Olympiacos 79-85 2/17/11
Balentia – Olympiacos 68-71 10/16/14
Balentia – Olympiacos 64-72 30/11/17
Balentia – Olympiacos 91-93 10/1/20
Balentia – Olympiacos 79-88 3/31/21
Balentia – Olympiacos 85-92 2/24/23