Barça Fails to Beat Olympiacos and Loses Chance to Lead EuroLeague
In round 25 of the EuroLeague, FC Barcelona could not overcome Olympiacos in their arena, the Peace and Friendship Stadium, and fell by a clear 87-75. A very poor start and a disastrous final stretch sealed the fate of the Catalan team, which wasted the opportunity to reach the top of the competition. 🏀
A Lethal Start and an Insufficient Reaction
The match began with a collapse from Barça, which was quickly overcome by a 17-point deficit. Although Roger Grimau's team managed to react and close the gap with a great effort, it failed to maintain the intensity in the decisive moments.
Key moments of the game:- Olympiacos established its dominance from the first minute, taking advantage of Barcelona's mistakes.
- Barça showed character to come back, but failed to sustain its game in the final phase.
- A very poor fourth quarter by the visiting team allowed the Greeks to close comfortably.
Olympiacos seems to have a manual for dismantling comebacks, and Barça studies it to the letter in the last quarter.
Vezenkov and Jones, Pillars of the Greek Victory
The victory for the Piraeus team had Aleksander Vezenkov and Tyrique Jones as its main architects. Vezenkov posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Jones provided solidity and strength. Their work was crucial to control the pace and respond to every Barça attack.
Standout Olympiacos players:- Aleksander Vezenkov: Leader in scoring and rebounding, decisive on both ends.
- Tyrique Jones: Dominant center who brought physicality and defense in the paint.
- The team demonstrated great collective maturity to handle moments of pressure.
Brizuela and Clyburn Not Enough for Barça
On the Catalan side, Darío Brizuela and Will Clyburn were in charge of leading the comeback attempt. Despite their contribution, the team failed to capitalize on the lead it achieved and deflated in the final stretch, allowing Olympiacos to pull away on the scoreboard. This defeat leaves Barça without the leadership it was pursuing and forces corrections ahead of upcoming matches. 😔