Olympiacos took an important step to achieve its European goal. Having the support of the President, Michalis Kountouris, the ‘’Reds’’ won Spandau with 6-5 in the first game of the Champions League final-8 held in Genoa. Our team was better during the game against the German one and qualified to the semi-final where we will face Barceloneta on Friday (7/6) at 20:00 (ERT2). More than 150 fans from Greece and Europe supported the team without stopping singing and created a fantastic atmosphere. 

Match Action: 

Olympiacos was determined to show that it is the absolute favourite. Fountoulis and Gounas scored giving the lead to the team which kept until the end of the first quarter. Pavic was invincible making great saves and the ‘’Reds’’ boosted the margin to three goals. Spandau reduced to 3-1 which was the final score of the first half. 

In the first quarter, Argyropoulos scored for 4-1 but the German team reacted. It took the advantage of the man-ups and equalized to 4-4. The ‘’Reds’’ regained the lead with a goal by Genidounias fourteen seconds before the end of the period. The Greek player increased the margin to +2 (6-4) but Spandau reduced to 6-5 in the last minute making the game exciting at the end. Olympiacos kept the lead qualified in the semifinals. Genidounias was the top scorer with three goals. 

Match data:

The quarters: 2-0, 1-1, 2-3, 1-1

Goals: 

1st quarter: 1-0 Fountoulis, 2-0 Gounas

2nd quarter: 3-0 Genidounias, 3-1 Dedovic 

3rd quarter: 4-1 Argyropoulos, 4-2 Kueppers, 4-3 Juengling, 5-4 Genidounias

4rth quarter: 6-4 genidounias, 6-5 Dedovic 

Squads: 

Olympiacos (Thodoris Vlachos): Pavic, Mylonakis, Delakas, Genidounias 3, Fountoulis 1, Nikolaidis, Dervisis, Buslje, Mourikis, Gounas 1, Argyropoulos 1, Obradovic, Galanopoulos

Spandau (Kovacevic): Baksa, Saudadier, Gielen, Cuk, Negrean, Juengling 1, Strelezkij, Dedovic 2, Stamm 1, Kueppers 1, Restovic, Peterfly

Thodoris Vlachos stated after the end of the quarter-final against Spandau: "The most important issue is that we qualified. We expected a close and difficult game but not so much. Our performance gave the opportunity to Spandau to come back and claim the win without stress. This made us anxious at the end but fortunately, didn’t cost us. We handled it and got the victory. Now, we focus on the semifinals.’’

Paulo Obradovic said at olympiacossfp.gr: "It was a tough game but we expected it. All teams that participate in the Final-8, are strong and dangerous. It was the first game, we were better and at the end, we got the victory. We are happy about this and we are now waiting to  know our rival in the semifinal. "