Valencia seeks to maintain its perfect record against champions Olympiacos

The Valencia Basket faces its biggest European challenge in the fifth round of the Euroleague. The taronja arrive undefeated for this match, sharing the top spot with Panathinaikos after victories that have shown consistency: one in Istanbul, a comeback from 18 points in Lyon, and a win against Hapoel at the Roig Arena. On Tuesday at 21:00, in their home court, they will host Olympiacos, the European champion, who holds a 3-1 record and comes in with confidence after dominating Anadolu Efes last Friday.

The physical dominance of Olympiacos

The Olympiacos displayed a superiority against Efes that is rarely seen in the competition. The Greeks won 89-66 with overwhelming dominance on the boards: 49 rebounds to 31, with 21 of them on the offensive end. That will be the first battle that Xavi Albert's team must win, as they lost the rebounding duel against Hapoel (40-41) but compensated with 48 percent from three-point range. The Greek team has heavy artillery: Jean Montero as their top scorer in form, Codi Miller-McIntyre leading the assists across the competition with 6.7 per game, and a heavy paint presence with Nikola Milutinov, Mbaye Ndiaye, and Tyrique Jones. Their only loss came in Bologna on a buzzer-beater three-pointer from Marcus Carr.

Valencia arrives battered but with rhythm

The taronja team, for its part, has accumulated more minutes in their legs after losing on Sunday at the Palau against Barça (89-86) in a nail-biting finish, when Nikola Mirotic's last three-pointer fell short. Despite the loss, TJ Shorts was the standout with 19 points and a rating of 22. The American will again be the reference point to maintain that high pace that is working so well for Valencia in their European run. His ability to generate plays and score will be crucial against an Olympiacos that arrives with clear intentions to impose their physical game.

The clash of styles

This matchup represents a clash of philosophies: Valencia bets on speed, rhythm basketball, and perimeter precision, while Olympiacos seeks to dominate from the inside and control the rebounding game. The Greeks have demonstrated that when they impose themselves in these areas, they are virtually unbeatable. Valencia will have to find the balance between maintaining their offensive identity and competing in the areas where the European champion is strongest.

Other focal points of the round in Spain

Beyond the duel at the Roig Arena, other Spanish teams have significant commitments. Barça hosts Maccabi Tel Aviv at 20:30 with high morale after defeating Valencia, but still nursing the wound from the 16-33 they suffered at the hands of Zalgiris in the last quarter. Oded Kattash's Maccabi just opened its campaign against Milano and arrives with a well-performing Yam Madar.

Kosner Baskonia, leading the Liga Endesa, hosts Dubai at 20:30 with a challenging European record (1-3). The good news for Paolo Galbiati is that his team has found their outside shooting, hitting 16 threes on Sunday against Joventut, after just three against Besiktas. Xavi Pascual's Dubai comes with its own difficulties after scoring only 58 points against Crvena Zvezda, its worst output in the competition.

The Real Madrid visits Olimpia Milano at 20:30 seeking their first win on the road. Both teams arrive with a 1-3 record. The white team will be without Gabriel Deck, whose shoulder injury is more serious than initially expected according to coach Pedro Martínez. In Milano, Moses Wright, who recorded the highest rating of the previous round with 32 points, will be the main interior threat.

The complete round

On Tuesday, Fenerbahce will also face Zalgiris, who arrives after winning at the Palau, and Tony Parker's ASVEL will take on Ibon Navarro's Crvena Zvezda. On Wednesday, Hapoel will host a Besiktas team that only manages to win away from home, Anadolu Efes and Bayern will battle to break free from their 1-3 stance, and Nadir Hifi's Paris, the competition's top scorer, will host Mumbrú's Virtus.

Round 5 of the Euroleague promises intensity across all fronts. Valencia has the opportunity to confirm its strong start against the biggest possible rival, while the rest of the Spanish teams look to improve their European records. Tuesday and Wednesday will be crucial in defining each team's aspirations in a competition that is just beginning to show its true trends.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Valencia busca mantener su pleno ante el campeón Olympiacos