EuroLeague: Olympiacos and AS Monaco Reignite Fierce Playoff Rivalry

Piraeus hosts one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2025/26 EuroLeague playoffs on Tuesday, with Olympiacos Piraeus facing AS Monaco in a series loaded with recent history, offensive firepower, and unfinished business. The regular season leader faces the eighth seed, but the competitive balance between these two goes far beyond seeding.

This is a rivalry that has been forged over time. Both teams have met in the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, including their most recent encounter at last year's Final Four, where Monaco emerged victorious in the semifinals. Additionally, the Monegasque squad also won both regular season matchups this season, a fact that bolsters their confidence heading into one of Europe's most demanding arenas.

Olympiacos arrives as the overwhelming favorite after finishing the regular season in first place, backed by a solid structure, competitive experience, and one of the tournament's deepest rosters. The squad directed by Georgios Bartzokas will look to impose pace, physical toughness, and interior dominance from the opening tip.

The Greek side's main reference point will be Sasha Vezenkov, recently named the competition's MVP. His ability to score from different areas and punish mismatches will be crucial, as will the presence of Nikola Milutinov in the paint. The interior pairing represents a clear advantage that Olympiacos will attempt to exploit against Daniel Theis and Kevarrius Hayes.

On the perimeter, the home team also boasts multiple threats. Tyler Dorsey and Evan Fournier provide scoring, three-point shooting, and the ability to swing games with hot stretches—two factors that could prove decisive in close contests.

Monaco, meanwhile, arrives strengthened after advancing through the Play-In Showdown and recovering key pieces. Terry Tarpey and Nemanja Nedovic expand the perimeter rotation and add three-point threat alongside Matthew Strazel and Elie Okobo.

However, all eyes are on Mike James. The competition's all-time leading scorer returns to a big stage with extra motivation after missing the All-EuroLeague teams. His ability to create off the dribble, decide tight finishes, and take impossible shots once again makes him the man to watch.

The defensive assignment on James will fall largely on Thomas Walkup, one of the tournament's most reliable specialists. The work of Alpha Diallo, named Defensive Player of the Year, will also be fundamental, though he faces a demanding night trying to contain the fluid local offense.

Olympiacos holds home-court advantage and greater consistency, but Monaco has already proven it knows how to compete and win against this opponent. Everything points to an intense, physical series with enormous emotional stakes from Game 1 onward.