Barça has a high test against Olympiacos. One of those games that define a team, that works like a cotton test of the competitive level. Against the rojiblancos in Piraeus it will never be an easy game, but against this Olympiacos even less so. Perched at the highest positions in the table (together with Barça and Madrid) with an 8-2 record in the last ten games and leading its players in many of the competition’s statistics: rebounds, assists, steals, points, valuation…
Barça faces this double week of the Euroleague (on Friday they have another difficult game against Fenerbahce) after a defeat against Casademont Zaragoza. A defeat that occurred after an unworthy first part, which will hardly be repeated today. In the first place because of the atmosphere and the rival, who invite us to be much more competitive, but also because of the players who will wear the blaugrana today. Mirotic and Higgins rested in Zaragoza, giving Jasikevicius prominence to the less usual. Today it will be the opposite. The entire squad travels, once Da Silva has overcome his back problems.
In fact, Barça, which has five consecutive victories in Europe, is giving a better version in the latest Euroleague games. Dominant, superior and being able to close the matches. The great subject of the course, which little by little is solving. In a template with many resources, but today they will all be necessary. Olympiacos in a very complete team.
They are the group that gives the most assists in the competition, 22 per game, so defense will be more than ever a priority for Saras’ men. But it is that the Greek team is also the one that steals the most in the entire Euroleague, so fluidity and clear-sightedness in attack will be key. And then the individual figures. Vezenkov is simply the fittest player in Europe, leading the ranking in points (18’1), rebounds (7’4) and efficiency (23’2), but there are also men like Sloukas or Walkup.
So in a match with such a level and talent on the floor by both teams You can end up deciding on those intangibles that Jasikevicius claims so much. Intensity, desire, strength…Everything that Barça lacked in the first part of Zaragoza but that they have shown they have plenty of. Today you will need it.
