Real Madrid edged Olympiacos 90-85 as a gritty showdown unfolded at the WiZink Center. The Greek side fought back when it mattered most, clawing their way toward the end but the hosts found a way to reclaim their rhythm and seal the win in Europe’s premier competition. The coach, Chus Mateo, endured a tense stretch in the final minutes before the team rediscovered its swagger after a heavy defeat in the prior round against Monaco.
Last season’s Europa League final rematch featured two teams that already knew each other well. Sergio Llull, the veteran playmaker for the white squad, lined up against Olympiacos for the second time after Real Madrid had claimed an away win on the 12th matchday. This time, Madrid looked more composed and efficient, and it showed in the approach and execution that followed.
In the first period, Madrid appeared pristine, even as Olympiacos pressed from the outside. Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall pushed the hosts to widen their shooting distance, yet Real Madrid’s defense stifled the visitors. The visitors converted just one of seven attempts from beyond the arc and struggled to secure offense at the rim, while Madrid’s unit of twelve defenders held steady. The stats looked like a solid foundation for a commanding start, setting a sharp tone for the night.
Real Madrid, short-handed in the painted area due to Walter Tavares’ injury, played with fluidity and attacking intent whenever they looked at the basket. They missed only two two-point attempts in eight tries and three of six from long range, while finishing the first quarter with a strong 30-13 margin after ten minutes, driven by decisive assists and smart ball movement.
The home team wasn’t content to coast. Olympiacos would not be dismissed so easily, and the visitors required pace and precision to climb back. Through the first four minutes of the second period, they produced five points, all via Mario Hezonja’s work on the floor. His relentless pursuit of rebounds and his scoring touch helped Madrid extend a lead, pushing the advantage to 22 points by halftime. Luke Sikma stood out for Olympiacos, tallying ten of his team’s seventeen points in that stretch, but the deficit remained significant.
With the scoreboard showing Madrid in control, a surge from Olympiacos could not be ruled out. The visitors found their mark from three-point range, converting a handful of attempts that had previously eluded them. The home side battled to keep a comfortable distance, anchoring their efforts with a remarkable assist-to-turnover balance that kept the offense humming. Facundo Campazzo threaded a beautiful alley-oop to Vincent Poirier for a highlight that put Madrid up 64-51 around the 28th minute, a moment that underscored the team’s poise in the late stages of the period.
Real Madrid rode this momentum into the decisive final ten minutes, though Olympiacos rattled them with an early 0-6 run. The back-and-forth intensified as Madrid fought to maintain their cushion while Olympiacos sensed blood. It became a mental duel as much as a basketball one, with Madrid required to grind out every possession and defend with discipline to hold on to the lead.
Hezonja, nicknamed Super Mario by fans, delivered a critical sequence with nine unanswered points that sparked Madrid back to life. His string of scores included a spectacular alley-oop finish that reignited the crowd and stretched the margin once more. The balance tilted in Madrid’s favor after Kostas Papanikolau briefly steadied Olympiacos with a three of his own, but Madrid’s collective defense and timely scoring answered every challenge, preserving the advantage and keeping the lead intact as the clock wound down.
Dzanan Musa then stepped forward as a steadying presence, delivering four key points to reinforce the cushion and create space for Madrid to weather Olympiacos’s late push. That sustained effort, paired with Campazzo’s steady distribution and clutch plays, sealed a notable victory for Real Madrid and provided the team with valuable momentum as they continued their Euroleague run.
Data sheet: Real Madrid finished with 90 points on a balanced scoring sheet. Campazzo contributed twelve, Deck fourteen, Musa twenty, Abalde eight, Poirier seven, the starting five also included Hezonja sixteen, Fernandez five, Causeur three, Rodriguez two, and Ndiaye three. Olympiacos finished with 85, with contributions from Canaan six, Walkup seven, Brazdeikis four, Peters twelve, Petrusev four, the starting five included McKissic nine, Sikma ten, Larentzakis two, Papanikolau twenty-five, and Mitrou-Uzun six.
Refs for the night were Ilija Belosevic from Serbia, Carmelo Paternico from Italy, and Saulius Racys from Lithuania. The event marked the 23rd Euroleague match day and took place at the WiZink Center, a venue known for its electric atmosphere and intense European competition.