Impressive Olympiacos spring a surprise in Moscow

EUROLEAGUE REGULAR SEASON - ROUND 5

Olympiacos conjured up a surprise in the EuroLeague, defeating reigning champions CSKA Moscow 84-79 in the Russian capital with an impressive performance.

Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!

Given their dodgy form this season, few gave Olympiacos any hope of somehow beating a previously undefeated CSKA Moscow team on the road, but the Erythrolefki proved their doubters wrong as they stormed to a 84-79 triumph in Russia. This is Olympiacos’ second victory in the competition this year and their first away from Piraeus.

Brandon Paul took a leading role for Olympiacos at the Megasport Arena, tallying 20 points, six rebounds and three assists while Kevin Punter registered 16 points. Former Panathinaikos star Mike James scored 22 points for CSKA.

Olympiacos will now prepare to host Maccabi Tel Aviv in Piraeus on Friday. CSKA make the trip to Saint Petersburg for a game against Russian rivals Zenit.

THE MATCH

Olympiacos immediately made a positive start in Moscow as Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Punter opened up a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes.

However, CSKA - coached by Dimitris Itoudis - did gradually improve as the first quarter progressed, and they were ahead by six points when it ended.

Olympiacos were down by 11 points in the first exchanges of the second period. Nevertheless, the Erythrolefki conjured up the perfect response, embarking on a 15-2 run to suddenly put themselves in the driving seat. Olympiacos won the frame 25-15.

Playing with real confidence, the Greeks expertly controlled the rest of the match, always keeping CSKA at bay while scoring effectively. Vassilis Spanoulis nailed a vital three-pointer with one minute remaining in the fourth quarter to hand Olympiacos a seven-point advantage from which there was no coming back.

HIGHLIGHTS

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: sport-fm.gr

Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!