On a Saturday night at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena, Real Madrid Baloncesto defeated Olympiacos Piraeus 93-89 to become the first champion in the history of the EuroLeague SuperCup. The victory settled a debt left open since last May’s EuroLeague final in Athens.
A cold start, a hot finish in Abu Dhabi
The game opened at a slow, turnover-heavy rhythm. Madrid found early three-pointers from Pradilla, Llull and Campazzo to build a 15-24 first-quarter lead, but Olympiacos refused to fade. A Cory Joseph buzzer-beater sent the sides into halftime with Madrid ahead only 43-47.
After the break, Olympiacos seized its first lead with a 7-0 surge, later stretching the margin to five points at 61-56. Coach Pedro Martinez later described it as a “horrible moment,” yet Madrid finished the third quarter still ahead 72-75.
Tavares and Feliz decide the last minute
A Luwawu-Cabarrot three pushed the lead back to ten, but Vezenkov led a Greek rally and Fournier’s three-point strike pulled Olympiacos to 89-91 with one minute left.
Then Feliz scored in the paint to seal the 89-93 triumph. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led Madrid with 12 points, while Facundo Campazzo added seven points and nine assists in a game where seven Madrid players posted double-digit performance ratings.
A debt settled from Athens
The win was layered with meaning. Last May Olympiacos had edged Madrid in the EuroLeague championship final, making this night in Abu Dhabi a direct revenge match in front of a packed crowd that included former Real Madrid stars Gareth Bale and Marcelo.
“We played with a lot of hierarchy, with a good level of basketball, so we are happy,” Campazzo told reporters afterwards. Coach Martinez put it another way: “Mentality is more important than tactics.”
The trophy is new, but the weight it carries for Madrid is already settled.
