EuroLeague: Monaco and Olympiacos Battle for Final Four Berth
On May 5, the third game of the EuroLeague quarterfinal series between Monaco and Olympiacos will take place. The Greek powerhouse will try to turn the tide on the road.
Monaco vs. Olympiacos: On the Brink, or How the Greek Giants Aim to Close Out the Series in the Principality
Main: What You Need to Know
On the evening of May 5, the third game of the EuroLeague quarterfinal series between Monaco and Olympiacos will be held at the Gaston Médecin arena. The Greek club enters this game with a comfortable 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series and is one step away from a fifth consecutive Final Four. For Monaco, this match is the last line of defense: a loss ends their season, a win gives them a chance to survive.
The game starts at 8:45 PM Moscow time. In Russia, the live broadcast will be available on the online cinema Okko.
Details and Facts
The tournament context before the third game leaves almost no room for maneuver. Olympiacos methodically dismantled their opponent in two home games, with the second match in Piraeus ending in a rout with a score of 94-64. After the final buzzer of the second game, Greek head coach Georgios Bartzokas stated that his team is heading to Monaco with the sole goal of closing out the series and preparing for the season's main event, which will be held in Athens this year.
The injury situation has become a key factor in this matchup. Monaco has suffered massive losses: the league's best defender Alpha Diallo (11.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game), power forward Nikola Mirotic, and center Daniel Theis—all three will not take the court. Diallo, named the tournament's best defender, is out for several weeks; Theis injured his finger in the second game in Greece; and Mirotic is still recovering.
Olympiacos also has losses: Tyson Ward remained in Athens to continue recovery procedures—the coaching staff decided not to risk the player's health given the comfortable series lead. Monte Morris's participation is questionable.
Analysis / Tactics / What to Expect
Analysis of the first two games reveals total dominance by the Piraeus side in key components. The Greek club dominates the paint, hitting 61% of two-point shots in the first game. For comparison, Monaco made only 14.3% of three-pointers (4 of 28), allowing Olympiacos' defense to collapse into the paint and cut off the air supply to Monaco's leader, Mike James.
Sasha Vezenkov, two-time EuroLeague regular season MVP, is having a phenomenal series. In the first game, he scored 20 points; in the second, 21, making him the top scorer in both games. However, Olympiacos' strength lies not in a single superstar but in depth and versatility: in the first game, five players scored over 10 points, rendering Monaco's defense helpless against a broad offensive front.
Monaco's main tactical problem is the collapse of perimeter defense. The team struggles with opponent pick-and-rolls and constantly loses help defense on rotations. Bartzokas has built the offense around Vezenkov and center Nikola Milutinov: while the defense switches onto the Bulgarian forward, the Serbian center is left alone under the basket, where he is incredibly effective.
Before flying to France, Bartzokas warned his team: "The main danger is overconfidence. The losses of Diallo and Theis take away some of Monaco's toughness, but their shooters can catch fire at any moment. We must not lose focus, especially given the low ceiling of the arena in Monaco, which EuroLeague players are not used to."
Experts note that to save the series, Monaco must solve an equation with three unknowns: normalize their three-point percentage to at least 30%, find someone in the lineup capable of neutralizing Vezenkov on the boards and on defense, and effectively relieve Mike James, who has to create offense single-handedly against a layered defense.
Betting odds reflect the uncertainty of the moment: a home win for Monaco is priced around 1.85, while an Olympiacos win is about 2.00. The total line is set at 186.5 points.
Key Points
- Vezenkov's form vs. Monaco's depleted defense: The EuroLeague's best player is at his peak and ready to score from any position.
- Home team's injury crisis: The absence of the league's best defender Diallo and center Theis makes the front line vulnerable to big man combinations.
- Monaco's home court factor: The arena with a low ceiling is a unique environment for most EuroLeague teams, capable of neutralizing class.
- Bartzokas' tactical flexibility vs. Monaco's offensive improvisation: Structure meets individual skill.
- Motivational gap: Olympiacos is eager to close out the series and prepare for the home Final Four; Monaco is fighting for survival.
Conclusion
Monaco enters the third game like a cornered animal—with no room for error and three key players in the infirmary. EuroLeague quarterfinal history has no record of an eighth seed coming back from 0-2 in a series.
However, one cannot discount Mike James—one of the best shooters in tournament history, capable of single-handedly turning the game around if he finds his rhythm. The home court and the unusual arena geometry could be the factor that throws off Olympiacos' shooters.
Nevertheless, the analysis of the first two games points to the structural superiority of the Piraeus side: they defend better, attack smarter, and have deeper rotation. If Vezenkov and company again impose their tempo and force mistakes in positional defense, the series will end in three games. Olympiacos looks like the clear favorite and has every chance to secure their ticket to Athens on May 5.
— Editorial Team
