This Friday at 17:00 CET, Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe will play the first game of this year’s EuroLeague Final Four in Athens at the OAKA Arena.
Nicolo Melli will be one of the names to watch: alongside Khem Birch he gives Fenerbahçe the ability to switch everything, and he has been described as the EuroLeague’s second-best defender.
The result of the quarterfinals sets a clear tone. Olympiacos swept Monaco in three games while Fenerbahçe required four to get past Zalgiris. Olympiacos is making its fifth consecutive Final Four appearance after finishing the regular season in first place and enjoying the easiest quarterfinal win; Fenerbahçe arrives as the defending champion, having finally claimed the title in Abu Dhabi.
History sharpens the moment. These teams met twice during the season and the home side won both regular-season games quite convincingly. Olympiacos will therefore step onto the OAKA floor with the largest backing in the stands, but several thousand Fenerbahçe fans have made the trip from Istanbul, ensuring a charged arena.
The match is framed by bad blood and narrow margins. Olympiacos have been one of Europe’s best offensive teams this season: by far the best two-point shooting percentages and the most assists per 40 minutes. Fenerbahçe counters as one of the continent’s top defenses, physically powerful and capable of switching across matchups because of players like Birch and Melli.
Past Final Four drama lingers. Olympiacos reached only one Final in its previous four appearances and lost that game to Real Madrid. There have been unforgettable eliminations: Sergio Llull hit a difficult game-winner in Kaunas against Olympiacos, and in 2022 Vasilije Micic knocked Olympiacos out in the semifinal at the buzzer in Belgrade. Those memories add weight to every possession here.
Context matters. The Final Four is being played in Athens, which raises the stakes for Olympiacos: home advantage has been real this season, and the two convincing home wins earlier between these teams underline that edge. At the same time, Panathinaikos is absent from the tournament even though its arena is hosting the final tournament, a peculiarity that keeps the spotlight fixed firmly on Olympiacos.
The unresolved friction is straightforward: can Fenerbahçe’s switching, size and defensive discipline blunt an Olympiacos attack that lives inside the two-point line and in ball movement? Olympiacos’ offense is structured to produce high-percentage looks and shared creation; Fenerbahçe’s strength is to prevent those looks and turn physicality into control.
The single, decisive question heading into the first semifinal is this — will Fenerbahçe’s defense, led by Nicolo Melli and Khem Birch, be able to contain Olympiacos’ two-point assault and its assist-driven offense? The answer will determine not just who reaches the Final, but whether Athens becomes a coronation for a home favorite or the opening chapter of a successful title defense.
