Olympiacos outplayed Fenerbahce and convincingly secured the EuroLeague final
Olympiacos produced one of its most convincing games of the season in the EuroLeague semifinal and defeated Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Athens by 79:61. The game was played on 22 May 2026 at Telekom Center Athens, known to the wider basketball public as the OAKA Olympic Hall, and the Greek team imposed a rhythm from the start that the Turkish side could not follow. According to the official EuroLeague Game Center, Olympiacos won all four quarters, and created the decisive difference through a combination of firm defense, rebounding control and patient offense. Fenerbahce entered the game as the reigning European champion, but in the semifinal it did not find offensive balance or enough in-form players to seriously threaten its opponent. With the victory, Olympiacos secured a place in the title game, in which it will play against Real Madrid.
From the first quarter it was clear who controlled the game
Olympiacos showed in the opening minutes that it wanted to slow the game into its own rhythm and force Fenerbahce into pressured possessions. The first quarter ended 18:12 for the Greek team, which may not have looked like an unreachable lead, but it very clearly showed the direction of the matchup. Fenerbahce struggled to get well-created shots, was late in ball movement and too often ended possessions under pressure from the shot clock. In its official game summary, EuroLeague states that Olympiacos established in the first quarter the defensive tone that marked the rest of the duel. Such a start was especially important because in Final Four games every early deficit turns into a psychological burden, especially when the stands are strongly on the side of one team.
In the second quarter, Olympiacos did not allow Fenerbahce to catch continuity. Although the Turkish team occasionally managed to reduce the gap, it failed to string together enough quality possessions to reverse the dynamics of the game. The second period ended 15:12 for Olympiacos, and the 33:24 halftime score best shows how defensively demanding the game was. A nine-point advantage in such a rhythm was worth more than in a game with a high number of possessions, because every basket carried additional weight. Olympiacos maintained discipline during that stretch, did not rush its solutions and successfully punished the periods in which Fenerbahce lost concentration.
The third quarter broke the semifinal open
The decisive part of the encounter came after the break. Olympiacos won the third quarter 23:17 and then turned the lead into a margin that Fenerbahce could no longer realistically threaten. According to official EuroLeague data, Olympiacos led 56:41 ahead of the final ten minutes, and such a score meant that Fenerbahce had to simultaneously accelerate its offense and take risks on defense. That was a position that suited the Greek team better, because Olympiacos already had established rhythm control and a clear idea of how to punish overly aggressive defensive jumps. In the third quarter, the depth of Olympiacos particularly came to the fore, as the team did not depend on only one offensive option.
El País emphasized in its report from Athens that Olympiacos runs of 12:0, 11:0 and another 11:0 left Fenerbahce without a real answer. Those runs were not only offensive flashes, but the consequence of defensive dominance and better reading of the game. During those stretches, Olympiacos controlled the rebound, closed driving lanes and forced Fenerbahce into difficult contested shots. Even when the Turkish team found a brief reaction, it did not last long enough to change the course of the game. In such a development, the Greek side’s advantage gradually grew, while Fenerbahce increasingly moved into individual and rushed solutions.
Peters, Vezenkov and Milutinov carried the winning structure
Alec Peters was Olympiacos’ top scorer with 17 points, while Sasha Vezenkov added 16. Their production was important not only because of the number of points, but also because of the moments in which they scored. Peters punished Fenerbahce’s defensive delays, while Vezenkov gave width to the offense and created pressure on the opposing defense from several areas of the court. According to official EuroLeague statistics, Nikola Milutinov was Olympiacos’ most valuable player by performance index rating, with 18 index points, and his contribution on the boards was one of the foundations of the victory. El País noted that Milutinov finished the game with 13 rebounds, which further underlined Olympiacos’ dominance in the battle under the rims.
Fenerbahce got the most from Tarik Biberović, who scored 17 points, while Talen Horton-Tucker added 16 and, according to EuroLeague statistics, had the best performance index rating on the Turkish team. But their contribution was not enough because the rest of the offense did not have the stability needed for a game of this level. Fenerbahce struggled to find a third player who could continuously create an advantage, and Olympiacos successfully guided possessions toward solutions that suited it defensively. When such a picture is combined with a poor start to the game, it is clear why the reigning champion remained far from scoreboard uncertainty. Fenerbahce tried to attack more aggressively in the closing stretch, but the difference was already too large.
Olympiacos’ defense was the foundation of the convincing victory
The 79:61 score shows that Olympiacos did not win only through offensive efficiency, but above all through control of space and rhythm. Fenerbahce was held to 61 points, which in a EuroLeague semifinal is a figure that clearly describes the level of defensive concentration of the Greek team. Olympiacos closed the middle well, helped on drives in a timely manner and limited the number of easy transition points. When Fenerbahce looked for faster possessions, Olympiacos responded with recovery running and disciplined switches. Because of that, the Turkish team did not manage to impose the tempo in which its individual creators would come to the fore.
It was especially visible that Olympiacos was prepared to live with certain shots from the opponent, but it did not allow runs from open positions. Such an approach requires a high level of communication, because one wrong rotation in a Final Four game can open the opponent’s path toward a comeback. Fenerbahce had an attempt at a reaction at the start of the final quarter, but it failed to maintain the pressure. Olympiacos then calmly slowed the game, avoided unnecessary nervousness and returned the match to the rhythm that suited it. Precisely that ability to manage moments of crisis is one of the differences between a team that merely has a lead and a team that knows how to close a big game.
Athens as a powerful setting for the Greek team
Although the game was played in an arena historically linked to Panathinaikos, the atmosphere in this semifinal strongly favored Olympiacos. Spain’s El País described how OAKA on semifinal night symbolically looked like an extension of Piraeus, with strong support from fans in red colors. Such an atmosphere is not by itself enough for victory, but in a high-stakes game it can increase the energy of the team that opens the contest better. Olympiacos used that energy in the right way, without entering euphoria and without losing tactical discipline. Fenerbahce, on the other hand, had to fight both the opponent and an environment in which every miss further strengthened the feeling of pressure.
The Final Four in Athens had additional symbolism because the peak of the European club season returned to one of the continent’s most important basketball cities. In its Final Four previews, EuroLeague emphasized the great interest in the final tournament, and the semifinal between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce was one of the matchups with the greatest historical and competitive weight. Both clubs have regularly belonged to the top of European basketball in recent years, and their head-to-head meetings have often brought physically demanding and tactically dense basketball. This time, however, the uncertainty lasted considerably less than expected. Olympiacos took control of the game early and did not allow it to turn into a finish decided by one or two possessions.
Fenerbahce failed to defend its champion status
Fenerbahce arrived in Athens as the title defender, after winning the EuroLeague a year earlier and confirming its continuity among the strongest European clubs. Ahead of the season’s final stage, EuroLeague recalled that the Turkish team reached the 2026 Final Four after a playoff victory over Žalgiris, which earned it the semifinal meeting with Olympiacos. That path to Athens showed that Fenerbahce had the quality and experience for big games, but in the semifinal it failed to repeat the level of performance that had brought it into the fight to defend the trophy. Problems appeared very early, and as the game progressed they became increasingly pronounced. The biggest shortcoming was the absence of collective offensive rhythm.
In games like this, a champion often finds a way to survive a weaker stretch and return through defense, but Olympiacos did not open enough space for such a scenario. Fenerbahce was not completely without a reaction, especially in short stretches when Biberović and Horton-Tucker took responsibility, but those moments were not connected into a stable whole. When playing against a team that leads, controls the rebound and does not lose patience, isolated offensive plays are rarely enough. Fenerbahce therefore remained in a position in which it constantly tried to put out the consequences of previous Olympiacos runs. In the closing stages it was clear that the title defender would have to say goodbye to the possibility of repeating last season’s success.
Olympiacos goes to Real Madrid in the title fight
With the victory against Fenerbahce, Olympiacos secured the EuroLeague final, and the official competition schedule shows that it will fight for the title against Real Madrid. Real defeated Valencia Basket 105:90 in the other semifinal, thereby securing another major final against the Greek giant. EuroLeague announced on its official website that the title game is scheduled for 24 May 2026 in Athens. That gives the final stage additional weight, because two teams with great European tradition and experience in the highest-pressure games will meet. Olympiacos will enter the final with the impression of a team that showed the most control and stability in the semifinal.
For Olympiacos, this is an opportunity to return to the European title after a long wait. El País states in its report that the Greek club has not won the title of European champion since 2013, which further increases the importance of the final in Athens. Still, the victory over Fenerbahce itself guarantees nothing in the final game, because Real Madrid brings a different opponent profile, greater offensive width and experience in final encounters. Olympiacos will have to maintain the defensive discipline from the semifinal, but also find enough offensive solutions against a team that can punish every run of turnovers. What is certain is that the Greek team sent a strong message in the semifinal: it enters the final stage as a side that knows how to control rhythm, pressure and the opponent’s weaknesses.
The numbers that summarize the game
- Competition: EuroLeague, Final Four 2026, semifinal.
- Game: Olympiacos Piraeus – Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 79:61.
- Venue: Telekom Center Athens, or OAKA Olympic Hall in Athens.
- Score by quarters: 18:12, 15:12, 23:17, 23:20.
- Olympiacos’ top scorer: Alec Peters, 17 points.
- Important Olympiacos performance: Sasha Vezenkov 16 points, Nikola Milutinov best performance index rating on the team and strong rebounding control.
- Fenerbahce’s top scorer: Tarik Biberović, 17 points.
- Olympiacos’ next game: EuroLeague final against Real Madrid on 24 May 2026 in Athens.
With this victory, Olympiacos gained more than just a place in the final. It received confirmation that in a game of the highest stakes it can remain patient, firm and tactically precise from the first to the last quarter. Fenerbahce, despite its status as reigning champion, was forced to play a game under the conditions dictated by the opponent. When defensive concentration, rebounding advantage, timely points from key players and tempo control are added together, the final 18-point margin does not look like a surprise, but like a faithful reflection of the balance of power on the court. Ahead of the final against Real Madrid, Olympiacos will build precisely on that performance the belief that it can go one step further.
Sources:
- EuroLeague Basketball – official Game Center for the Olympiacos Piraeus – Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul game with the score, quarters, statistics and arena information (link)
- EuroLeague Basketball – official competition page with the Final Four schedule, semifinal results and preview of the Olympiacos – Real Madrid final (link)
- EuroLeague Basketball – 2026 Final Four page with context on the final tournament in Athens (link)
- El País – report from Athens on Olympiacos’ victory over Fenerbahce, key runs and the contribution of leading players (link)