Olympiacos Aims for a 2-2 Record in “Devil’s Week”!
The “Red-and-Whites” host (9:15 p.m.) at Sunel Arena, as they take on Armani Milan in the 8th round of the EuroLeague, aiming for a 2-2 record during “Devil Week” and their seventh win to start this year’s regular season.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Euroleague: Spanish showdown in Barcelona, battle in Kaunas
Efes-Panathinaikos: A trip to Istanbul to stay alone at the top
Two days ago, the Piraeus team struggled but ultimately managed to overcome the resistance of a tenacious Besiktas and left Istanbul with an 81-73 victory, playing excellent defense and managing to overcome the challenges posed by key absences. Led by Vezenkov, Ward, McIntyre, and the big man duo of Hall and Jones, Bartzokas’s team dished out 26 assists and had an answer every time Besiktas looked capable of challenging for the win on equal terms.
Thus, Olympiacos returned to winning ways after its home loss to Fenerbahçe, improving its record to 6-2 and remaining within striking distance of the top. Now, it will play 6 of its next 7 EuroLeague games at the Sunel Arena, while the only away game is against Maccabi Tel Aviv, which will be played in Cyprus at the “Spyros Kyprianou” Arena in Limassol. This will be followed by a league matchup against the in-form Peristeri, while next week the team will host Red Star.
On the playing front, Fournier and Montero remain sidelined due to their injuries, while Dorsey is also unavailable due to the suspension imposed on him. Milutinov will likely be available; he did not play against Besiktas due to a toe injury but had a clear MRI. Konchar is still adjusting to the team, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be included in the 12-man roster or make his debut with the Red-and-Whites.
“We’ll obviously need to rotate the lineup during the game to stay fresh. If we also take into account the players we’re missing, especially on the perimeter, that might be a factor in the game. But I think it’s important to always approach the game with the same level of seriousness. We need to recognize that Milan, even though they haven’t racked up an impressive points total, is a team with talent, experience, and good coaching. The fact that they held their own against Panathinaikos in an away game clearly demonstrates their team’s potential. It’s important for us to approach the game by putting aside what happened before and what will happen afterward. We need to be determined to stick to a game plan,” said Giorgos Bartzokas, among other things, ahead of tonight’s matchup.
As for Armani Milan, they are at the bottom of the standings, having secured just one win in their first eight games. They won only their Italian derby against Virtus Bologna in the second round, followed by consecutive losses to Baskonia, Maccabi, Real, Dubai, Barcelona, and Panathinaikos. Against the “Greens” last Tuesday, they put up a competitive fight but ultimately fell 80-75.
As for the lineup, Peters’ participation will be decided at the last minute; the former Olympiacos player missed the game against Panathinaikos due to a knee injury, but Italian media reported that he trained with the rest of the team on the eve of the game and may see some playing time.
Juan Carlos Garcia, Saso Petek, and Husein Celik will be the three referees for tonight’s game.
Last season, Olympiacos won 85-76 at SEF, while they lost by a narrow margin of 88-87 in Milan.
