Red Star - Olympiakos

International - Euroleague, Round 33

The match between clubs in close, almost fraternal relations, will certainly pass in a light, attacking rhythm, and without a fierce fight.
The competitive motive this time is exclusively for the guests. If Olympiakos wins in Belgrade, they will maintain their advantage over their big rivals from Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid, in fight for first place in the Euroleague table. Currently, the team from Piraeus has a record of 23-9 and four victories in the last five matches in the European elite.
On the other hand, although they won in the last three matches in the competition, Red Star (15-17) was left with no chance for the quarterfinals. The appearances of the guards and the main shooting options, Nedović and Vildosa, are in question. It is unlikely that the coaching staff in this situation, in a match that is essentially irrelevant for the Belgrade team, will risk worsening the situation with injuries to such important players.
The only real motive for Red Star in this match is the fact that the team wants to improve its impression in front of the home fans and in front of the basketball public in Serbia. Next week, they will say goodbye to the season in the Euroleague, also as a host against Fenerbahce.
Olympiakos, on the other hand, welcomes an extremely motivated Baskonia next week in a potentially much more difficult match. That is why the Athenians know that victory in Belgrade should not be in question.
That we should expect a good attacking match is evidenced by the Olympiakos games away from home. Interestingly, the Greek team continuously shows that they are ready to play for a large number of points when they play away the European elite. The proof of that is the triumphs over Valencia (92:85), Alba (93:60) and Fenerbahce (93:73) – all away games, and all achieved since the end of January.
The team, which scores 84.1 points in the Euroleague per match this season, counts above all on the inspiration of Bulgarian forward Sasha Vezenkov. With 17.5 points per match in the Euroleague, Vezenkov is a dominant figure who provides the team with many different options for implementation. At the moment, it does not seem that Red Star has enough quality options among the players who could guard him in this match.
Crvena zvezda has accelerated their game since the end of February, when it finally managed to register the famous Argentine playmaker Facundo Campazzo for the Euroleague. His presence on the field guarantees a spectacle, but not only that - the phases of the match when Campazzo plays will also mean an accelerated game, with the search for realization in the early phase of the attack. Olympiacos, who are deadly in transition, will certainly get such opportunities when they get the chance. The exceptional defender Thomas Walkup (1.9 steals per match) is an important factor for the guests in such a game.
In their last three duels, Crvena zvezda managed to win all, and each time it was an exciting match. Olympiacos lost five times against Zvezda, and tonight's opportunity for the eighth triumph against the club from Serbia is perhaps the easiest so far.