Program day 20
Hierarchy are still struggling to settle in the EuroLeague, with only 2 wins separating Olympiakos in second and Red Star in 10th. Such a homogeneous level that every day presents us with its share of posters! This week’s clash with the Greeks of Piraeus, who have moved up to second place with leaders Real Madrid. After “Fenerbahce” host Monaco, the top 6 teams compete in the tournament table, while “Barca” will travel to the Basque country to challenge “Vitoria”. Presentation of the 20th day of the Euroleague 2022/2023.
Euroleague 2022/2023: Day 20 poster
Olympiakos BC – Real Madrid (Friday 20:00)
Let’s be honest, with the intensity of the Euroleague this season, we deserve a clash between the top teams every week! And this day 20 is no exception to the rule with Real Madrid leading the pack with 13 wins from 19 games, traveling to Athens to take on Olympiakos BC at a packed Palace and Friendship stadium!
Having won the first game in the Spanish capital (89-87), Olympiakos intends to double the bet and use it to return to the EuroLeague leaders and have a special goal average. To topple Madrid, the Greeks will have to showcase their attacking talents. The best attack of the competition (85.2 points on average), Olympiakos owes it above all to the magical duo of Kostas Sloukas and Sasha Vezenkov. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s teammate on the national team leads the Piraeus offense with 11.9 points and 6.8 assists per game. Always clutch, the leader can also count on his Bulgarian friend, who averaged 17.9 points and 6.8 rebounds on his way to the MVP title of the season. Two shock assets to bring down the Euroleague’s finest workforce.
But the leader comes to Greece with the desire to defeat the opponent of the day by 2 or even 3 points if the Spaniards win this match by 3 points. With 4 wins in 5 games, Real Madrid has a confidence indicator that also dominates Liga ACB this season. Behind Dzanan Musa (15.5 points) and his pivot Walter Tavares (see below), the Merengues were sluggish at the beginning of the season when building a team. Because despite the stars, this is really a collective that works at full speed. Gabriel Deck and Guershon Yabusele, Vincent Poirier and Mario Hezonja average 22 points between them while playing their height from near or far. A balanced cocktail of talent that is currently the best team in the Euroleague and the most consistent.
Player to watch: Walter Tavares (Real Madrid)
In his 6th year at Real Madrid, Walter Tavares has become a reference on the European stage. If the fast-paced game in the NBA was not for him, the European half-court game with a less continuous rhythm better suits the qualities of the Cape Verdean pivot (11.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 minus). He’s 220cm tall, whether it’s in the EuroLeague or the ACB League, and many players and experts agree that Walter Tavares is the best pivot in Europe.
The complete program of the 20th day of the Euroleague
Thursday, January 19
18:45: Fenerbahce Istanbul – AS Monaco
20:05: Maccabi Tel Aviv – Alba Berlin
20:30: Virtus Bologna – Panathinaikos Athens
20:30: Baskonia Vitoria – FC Barcelona
20:45: Valencia Basket – Partizan Belgrade
Friday 20 January
18:30: Anadolu Efes Istanbul – Bayern Munich
19:00: Zalgiris Kaunas – Red Star Belgrade
20:00: Olympiakos – Real Madrid
20:30: Emporio Armani Milano – LDLC Aswell
Euroleague ranking after 19 days
- Real Madrid 13-6
- Olympiakos BC 12-7
- Fenerbahce 12-7
- FC Barcelona 12-7
- AS Monaco 12-7
- Baskonia Vitoria 11-8
- Zalgiris Kaunas 11-8
- Anadolu Efes Istanbul 10-9
- Maccabi Tel Aviv 10-9
- Red Star Belgrade 10-9
- Partizan Belgrade 9-10
- Valencia Basket 9-10
- Virtus Bologna 8-11
- Bayern Munich 7-12
- Panathinaikos Athens 7-12
- Alba Berlin 6-13
- Emporio Armani Milano 6-13
- LDLC Asvel 6-12
Top 10 of the last day
