Article by Adrian Jitea – Published on Sunday, 24 May 2026 23:14 / Updated on Sunday, 24 May 2026 23:30
Olympiakos defeated Real Madrid 92-85 to win the 4th Euroleague in the club's history.
Olympiakos fans had their last big joy in 2024 when the football team conquers the Conference League. He did it in a final played in Athens, in the fiefdom of rival AEK Athens.
Today, the chance of an even greater performance, the triumph in the Euroleague basketball. The last act was also scheduled in Athens, this time in OAKA, the home of Panathinaikos.
The red-whites started as big favorites for another unforgettable evening. Real Madrid, the most successful team in the history of the competition, approached the match without the two centers, Walter Tavares and Usman Garuba. Moreover, they played in a hellish atmosphere. Almost all the seats in the hall were colored red.
Olympiakos, “at home” in the fiefdom of the great rival
Sergio Scariolo's students have had a blast with the lots. They started off great. Olympiakos' first basket in action came after 3 minutes, the lead at that time had reached 12 points. Evan Fournier, the star brought in from the NBA, had some flashes, and the first quarter ended 26-19 in favor of the Spanish.
The second quarter was controlled by the Greeks. With a 50% 3-point shooting percentage and a ceiling-shattering gallery on every basket and rebound, Georgios Bartzokas' squad took the lead into halftime, score 46-44.
At the end of the first three quarters, we had an unlikely MVP. Canada's Trey Lyles again proved he is in good shape against Olympiakos. The best game of 2026 was even against the Greeks, in the regular season, 22 points. In the first 30 minutes today, he already had 21. And Real was leading 65-61.
A last quarter in which a year's work was played out. Olympiakos fans remembered that they also have a Canadian, even one with experience across the Ocean. Cory Joseph rattled the net from long range, another upset of the score.
Olympiakos broke the curse: it's the best in the Euroleague!
With each passing minute, another device of gendarmes arrived around the playing surface. The defense was already three layers, tighter only being Walkup's marking at Deck.
Entering the final minute, Olympiakos held possession and were 4 points ahead. A foul committed on Fournier sparked protests from the Spaniards. No matter how loudly he shouted in the direction of the referees, they would not have been heard.
and @mariohezonja is too tough 😤 #F4GLORY pic.twitter.com/HMSQfDf1fH
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 24, 2026
Uproar amplified by another long-range Real miss. The fans felt that from that moment on only a disaster could spoil their party. Final score, 92-85!
- Champion points Olympiakos in the final fournier (20), Peters (16), Vezenkov (12), Walkup (10), Milutinov (8), Ward (7), Joseph (5), McKissic (5), Hall (4), Jones (4) and Dorsey (1) were successful.
- For real madrid Lyles (24), Hezonja (19), Feliz (13), Abalade (9), Maledon (8), Campazzo (5), Deck (4) and Lull (3) scored.
👀 This is how Olympiakos fans are going for the championship match in OAKA. pic.twitter.com/hPh5p1z0ld
— Euroleague Basketball (@EBasketbolu) May 24, 2026
The party for Olympiakos fans will start with a long drive home, almost 18 kilometers. Most of them will travel it on motorcycles. Then the Cup will descend again in the Port of Piraeus and many white nights will follow.
