Real Madrid brought down Valencia with an attacking display and secured the EuroLeague final in Athens
Real Madrid qualified for the EuroLeague final after defeating Valencia 105:90 in the semifinal of the final tournament in Athens. The game was played on May 22, 2026, in the OAKA Olympic Hall, today’s Telekom Center Athens, and the Madrid team confirmed its finalist status with one of the most convincing attacking performances of this season’s final stage. According to the official Euroleague Basketball schedule, the 2026 Final Four is being played on May 22 and 24 in Athens, and the winner of the second semifinal earned a place in the title game against Olympiacos. For Valencia, the defeat meant the end of a great European run, but also confirmation that the club has returned this season to the very top of continental basketball.
The game had an exceptionally high tempo from the opening minutes. Valencia started bravely, responded to Real Madrid’s early pressure and finished the first quarter with a minimal 28:26 lead. However, the key turnaround came in the second period, when Real Madrid sped up ball movement, hit a series of outside shots and scored as many as 36 points in ten minutes. That attacking surge allowed them to go into halftime with a 62:56 lead, although Valencia remained close enough for the game not yet to lose its competitive tension.
The second quarter broke the rhythm of the game
According to Cadena SER’s report, the first half produced a total of 118 points, which represented an exceptionally efficient attacking framework for a Final Four game. Real Madrid capitalized in that period on better shooting, faster transition and a wider attacking repertoire, while Valencia tried to keep pace through drives, individual solutions and a more aggressive attack toward the rim. Pedro Martínez’s team had periods in which it managed to slow Madrid down, but it did not find a lasting answer to the runs that came from several positions.
The second quarter proved decisive because Real Madrid then took control of the game. Spanish media highlighted that Sergio Scariolo’s team at one point made a big run and forced Valencia into a reaction from the bench. Valencia, however, did not collapse, but reduced the deficit by the end of the half and kept the game open. It was precisely that part of the duel that best showed the two sides of the encounter: Real’s ability to create a large difference in a short period and Valencia’s resilience, which enabled it to stay in the game even after the opponent’s toughest surge.
In the continuation, it was expected that Valencia could apply additional pressure, especially because Real Madrid was playing without full comfort in the high line. Still, the Madrid team continued to maintain the lead by controlling the rebound and making better decisions at the end of possessions. The third quarter ended with Real increasing the margin, and Valencia entered the final period with a deficit that required an almost perfect finish. It tried to speed up and attack through the perimeter line, but Real Madrid did not allow a complete comeback.
Hezonja led Real, Valencia remained without an answer in the finish
Mario Hezonja was one of Real Madrid’s key players and finished the game with 23 points, according to the statistical summary published in Spanish reports from the game. His points came at important moments, especially when Real had to maintain rhythm after Valencia’s attempts to close the gap. Alongside him, important contributions came from Trey Lyles, Gabriel Deck, Theo Maledon and Andrés Feliz, while Facundo Campazzo kept Madrid’s offense stable through his organization of the game. Real Madrid did not depend on only one scorer, but built its advantage by distributing responsibility and using the depth of its roster.
Valencia had several players in good form, but no run lasted long enough to change the overall picture of the duel. Jean Montero and Nate Reuvers each scored 15 points, Jaime Pradilla added 13, and Braxton Key also finished with 13 points. Kameron Taylor had an important role in the first part, when Valencia was looking for a way to attack Real’s defense and maintain the high tempo. Still, when Madrid closed the rebound more firmly in the second half and reduced the number of easy solutions, Valencia’s attacking efficiency was no longer enough for a complete turnaround.
One of the details that marked the closing stage was the injury to Usman Garuba, who, according to Cadena SER’s report, left the game in visible pain. That moment briefly unsettled Real Madrid, but Valencia did not manage to exploit the uncertainty that emerged. The Madrid team then showed its experience in big games: it slowed the rhythm when necessary, made use of free throws and continued to look for the most favorable attacking situations. Valencia remained combative until the end, but the final 105:90 accurately reflects Real’s attacking superiority.
The Final Four in Athens is being played in an arena of strong basketball symbolism
Euroleague Basketball had earlier announced that the 2026 Final Four would be held at Telekom Center Athens, an arena with a capacity of more than 18,000 spectators. It is a venue built in 1994 and extensively renovated for the 2004 Olympic Games, also known as part of the OAKA complex. For European basketball, Athens has special meaning because it is a city with a long tradition of major club games, a strong fan culture and clubs that have deeply marked the history of continental competitions. That is exactly why the final stage in the Greek capital carried additional weight, especially because of Olympiacos’s qualification for the final.
According to official information from the ticket sales organizer, the semifinals were scheduled for Friday, May 22, and the final day for Sunday, May 24, 2026. This year’s program also brings a change compared with earlier final tournaments because instead of a third-place game, the schedule includes the adidas NextGen Championship Game. For fans and visitors who remain in Athens until the final day, accommodation offers near the arena in Athens are also useful, especially because of increased traffic and security regimes around major sporting events. The center of attention, however, remains the senior EuroLeague final, which will determine the new champion of Europe.
OAKA, or Telekom Center Athens, also has additional symbolism because it is the home court of Panathinaikos, while Olympiacos is a club from Piraeus, a city directly connected with the Athens urban area. For that reason, the final stage also carried a local Greek charge, although the second semifinal was a Spanish showdown between Valencia and Real Madrid. The atmosphere of the final tournament was shaped by a large number of traveling fans, strong security measures and the fact that the European club champion is decided over two days. In such an environment, Real Madrid’s experience in final stages once again came to the fore.
Real Madrid goes against Olympiacos in the fight for the title
Real Madrid will play in the final against Olympiacos, which defeated Fenerbahçe 79:61 in the first semifinal. According to Euroleague Basketball’s official Game Center, the final game Olympiacos - Real Madrid is scheduled for May 24. With that, the final stage received a duel between clubs with great European weight, different stylistic profiles and clear competitive ambitions. Olympiacos reached the final through firm defense and rhythm control, while Real showed against Valencia that it can win a game with an exceptionally high attacking output.
For Real Madrid, this is another confirmation of continuity at the top of the EuroLeague. The club is synonymous in European basketball with the highest ambitions, and in Athens it once again showed that it knows how to raise its level of play when the final tournament begins. The 105 attacking points in the semifinal are not just a statistical figure, but a message to the opponent in the final that the Madrid team has enough depth for a game in several different rhythms. If Olympiacos tries to impose a slower and physically more demanding duel, Real will have to show the same discipline in defense that it showed in attacking organization against Valencia.
Valencia, despite the defeat, returns from Athens with confirmation of the value of its season. The club reached the final tournament, played a semifinal against the most decorated European opponent and, for most of the game, did not depart from its own identity. The 90:105 result shows the difference in efficiency, but does not erase the fact that Valencia played in Athens bravely, quickly and without calculation. Such a performance will not be enough for the final, but it can be a foundation for continued growth in the European context.
An attacking evening that confirmed Real’s depth
The most important impression of the game remains Real’s attacking versatility. When Valencia closed the paint, Madrid found outside shots. When it tried to press the ball more aggressively, space opened for passes inside or for transition. Such adaptability is especially important in Final Four games, where there is no series, but one encounter determines the continuation of the season. In that format, Real looked like a team that knows when to accelerate, when to break the opponent’s rhythm and when to close out the game with experience.
Valencia showed in certain periods that it could match them offensively, but the problem arose in defensive continuity. Conceding 36 points in one quarter against a team of such quality leaves very little room for error in the rest of the encounter. In addition, Real further emphasized its rebounding advantage in the third quarter, which took away Valencia’s chance for a quick comeback and created additional possessions for the Madrid team. In a game in which every run could change the psychological framework, Real Madrid’s extra attacks had special value.
Although the final difference was 15 points, the game was not one-sided from beginning to end. Valencia won the first quarter, stayed within six points at halftime and on several occasions forced Real to search for solutions again. But the Madrid team had more answers and greater stability in the moments when it was being decided whether the encounter would turn into a suspenseful finish. That is why Real’s qualification for the final was deserved, and Valencia’s farewell dignified after a season in which the club made a significant European step forward.
Sources:
- Euroleague Basketball – official Game Center with semifinal results and final schedule (link)
- Euroleague Basketball – official announcement on Athens hosting the 2026 Final Four and arena data (link)
- EuroLeague Final Four Tickets 2026 – official information hub with the location, dates and schedule of the final tournament (link)
- Cadena SER – report from the Valencia Basket - Real Madrid game and statistical summary of the encounter (link)
- El País – live text coverage and summary of key moments of the Valencia Basket - Real Madrid semifinal (link)