Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos: The Sixth Derby of the Season at Peace and Friendship Stadium

All eyes in European basketball are on the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF) tonight! The two Greek giants, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, will clash once again (21:15, Newsit.gr, NovaSports Prime) for the 29th competitive game of the EuroLeague season. This is their sixth derby this season and the 27th in the history of this prestigious rivalry. Olympiacos leads the EuroLeague standings with a record of 21-7 and welcomes the reigning European champion, Panathinaikos, who sits in third place (record 18-10). The ‘red-and-whites’ have secured five consecutive victories against Partizan, Virtus, Barcelona, Paris, and Efes, effectively guaranteeing home-court advantage for the playoffs and are unlikely to lose their top spot. A win over their eternal rival would further boost the team led by Georgios Bartzokas in their quest for first place. Meanwhile, Panathinaikos has its own winning streak of four matches against Real Madrid, Villeurbanne, Efes, and Fenerbahce, fresh off their triumph in the Greek Cup final over Olympiacos. Coach Ataman’s team aims to secure a top-four position for playoff home-court advantage and looks to conquer SEF. This marks the sixth confrontation between the two teams this season across all competitions, with Olympiacos having two wins and Panathinaikos three. Both teams aim high, targeting a spot in the EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi from May 23-25. Panathinaikos dreams of back-to-back titles and their eighth star, while Olympiacos seeks its first title after three unsuccessful Final Four appearances. Injuries affect both sides, with Olympiacos missing Thomas Walkup, Kinan Evans, and Moussa Wright, while Panathinaikos lacks Omer Yurtseven, Marius Grigonis, and Matthias Lessort. The game will be officiated by Damir Javor (Croatia), Uros Nikolits (Serbia), and Jakub Zamowski (Poland). Tonight’s program includes Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos (21:15, Novasports Prime), Bayern Munich vs Anadolu Efes (21:30, Novasports 4), and Barcelona vs Partizan (21:45, Novasports 5). Yesterday’s EuroLeague results were as follows: Fenerbahce – Villeurbanne 92-82, Zalgiris – Paris 83-81, Red Star – Armani Milan 80-82, Alba Berlin – Baskonia 97-90, Maccabi Tel Aviv – Monaco 91-88, and Virtus Bologna – Real Madrid 67-80.