Olympiacos is looking to build on its impressive start in the EuroLeague!
Giorgos Bartzokas’s team will face Virtus Bologna at the “PalaDozza” for the third round of Europe’s top basketball competition (9:30 p.m.).
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The “Red-and-Whites” have gotten off to a strong start in their bid to defend their title, boasting a 2-0 record—with both wins coming on the road. Following their easy victory over Baskonia in the season opener, they secured a major win over Zalgiris in Kaunas the day before yesterday with a score of 91-93, thanks to Evan Fournier’s clutch performance. Olympiacos managed to come away with the win at a very tough venue despite several absences, and now has a golden opportunity to go 3-0 with back-to-back road wins to start the season.
On the other hand, Virtus has had anything but an ideal start. In their season opener, they lost to Fenerbahçe in Istanbul (78-68), and the day before yesterday, they suffered a painful loss in the Italian derby against Armani Milan (87-85), as the final score was decided by a buzzer-beater from Devon Hall. Alex Moubrou’s team needs to bounce back, but the truth is that the early signs aren’t encouraging.
On the court, Olympiacos will be without the injured Nikola Milutinov, while Cory Joseph returns to action after missing the game against Zalgiris due to lower back discomfort. For Virtus, Kevin Kokila’s availability remains in question.
It’s worth noting that in the EuroLeague era (2000 and later), Olympiacos has 11 wins in 12 games against Virtus and has won five straight against the Italian team. Its only loss came on December 19, 2023, with a score of 69-67.
Carlos Perugia (Spain), Ilija Belosevic (Serbia), and Denis Hadzic (Croatia) have been assigned to officiate the game.
