Vesenkov and Co. Take Early Lead Against Champions in Athens!

Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe are set to clash in the "Telekom Center Athens" in the first semi-final of the EuroLeague Final Four.

The "Red-Whites" from Piraeus have reached this stage for the fifth consecutive year, but they have yet to secure the trophy. Their closest approach was in 2023, when Vesenkov and company lost dramatically to Real Madrid in the final.

Olympiacos finished first in the regular-season standings this year, while Fenerbahçe ended in fourth place. In the playoffs, Olympiacos defeated last year's finalist Monaco 3-0 in the quarterfinals, while Fenerbahçe prevailed 3-1 over Žalgiris.

Father in the Stands to Support Sasha

In the 2025/26 regular season, the Greek and Turkish teams exchanged one home win each.

First Quarter:

For the first two minutes of the game, no baskets or fouls were scored, until Olympiacos point guard Thomas Walkep, with some luck, scored the first two points. Two consecutive three-pointers from Tyler Dorsey made it 8-0, and after five minutes, the Turkish side still had no points. Vesenkov scored his first points with a close-range shot, making the score 10-0 at the 3:56 mark. Kem Birch finally scored the first points for the champions, and Nando de Colo followed with a three-pointer, making it 12-3. Olympiacos entered the bonus early, and Dorsey's free throw made it 15-7. Tyus Ward scored a three for Olympiacos, but Fenerbahçe responded with a three-point play from Treyon Hitchcock, making the score 18-12 after the first quarter.

Second Quarter:

Tyrique Jones's two free throws gave Olympiacos a 12-point lead, 24-12, as Fenerbahçe struggled in attack. Vesenkov's reserve, Alec Peters, scored well, making it 26-12. Another basket by Peters increased the lead to 16 points, 28-12. A strong shot by Chris Silva gave Fenerbahçe their first points in the second quarter, six minutes into the period. The Greek team's lead reached 17 points, but a three-pointer by Tarik Berkovic narrowed it to 12, 17-29. Peters continued to thrive, making a three-pointer from the corner, 32-17. The Fenerbahçe players responded with a difficult but crucial three from Berkovic. An easy basket by Nicolò Melli in the closing seconds made it 24-33 at halftime. Vesenkov has only scored two points so far, but he has grabbed three rebounds.

Starting Lineups:

Olympiacos: Walkep, Vesenkov, Papadopoulos, Dorsey, Milutinov

Fenerbahçe: Birch, de Colo, Silva, Berkovic, Hitchcock