OLYMPIACOS – FENERBAHÇE: Final Four Madness Begins! Greeks Eye First Final in Three Years, Turks Aim for Title Defense!

Fenerbahçe will have significant support from their fans, but they will be outnumbered by Olympiacos supporters, who will essentially be playing on home turf in Athens.

Fener's primary objective, if they hope to reach another EuroLeague final, will be to silence the Olympiacos crowd and force the game into a tight finish. On paper, the pressure should be less on the Turkish side, who boast proven clutch performers.

Conversely, Olympiacos still smarts from Sergio Llull's game-winner in Kaunas and Vasilije Micić's heroics in Belgrade – the Greeks have often found themselves on the losing end in decisive moments.

They will also need to contain Sasha Vezenkov, the league's MVP, and prevent Tyler Dorsey and Evan Fournier from getting hot on switches. Their path to the final likely involves a low-scoring affair.

Last season, Fenerbahçe ascended to the top of Europe. Can they repeat that success for a second consecutive year?

All things considered, Olympiacos has been the best team in Europe this season across all competitions. While Panathinaikos did snatch the Greek Cup from them, the Piraeus side has otherwise been dominant.

They finished the domestic league season undefeated, then swept Kolossos in two games in the semifinals. Their EuroLeague campaign has been equally impressive, finishing atop the standings with a 26-12 record. Notably, they've secured 19 wins since early March, suffering only two defeats. Both losses were dramatic, with Monaco and Valencia winning by a single point.

Their quarterfinal series pitted them against Monaco, whom Olympiacos swept in three games with a combined margin of 74 points. While Monaco has been in a slump for some time, they did secure several crucial victories late in the season to reach the playoffs.

It's no surprise that Sasha Vezenkov has been the team's, and indeed the entire EuroLeague's, best player this season – the MVP award rightfully landed in his hands. The Bulgarian averages over 19 points per game with outstanding shooting percentages (62-40-89), along with six and a half rebounds, contributing to nearly 23 PIR per contest.

Last year, he underperformed in the semifinal against Monaco, so all eyes will be on him – is he ready to step up?

Nikola Milutinov and Tyler Dorsey have also been instrumental in Olympiacos's stellar season, both enjoying outstanding campaigns. While they played secondary roles under coach Bartzokas last season, both have exploded this year. Milutinov earned a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team with over ten points and seven rebounds, while Dorsey made the Second Team.

Alongside them are Evan Fournier, Thomas Walkup, the experienced Kostas Papanikolaou, Donta Hall, and Tyrique Jones, who joined mid-season… It's a rotation to envy. Olympiacos has proven throughout the season that they are the best team, but now it's time to deliver when it truly matters, at the EuroLeague Final Four.

You can watch the live broadcast of the match between Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe on Arenasport 2 Premium, starting at 5 PM CET.

VIDEO: Olympiacos "sweeps" depleted Monaco to reach the Final Four