Barça 75-77 Olympiacos: Defeat in Euroleague opener

Barça will now have to win at least one game away from home to claim a place in the Final Four. Roger Grimau's side went down to a 77-75 defeat against Olympiacos in the opening game of the best of five series at home in the Palau Blaugrana in the quarter-finals of the Euroleague. The blaugranes have now lost their home advantage as seeds and will have to win at least one game in Greece to see themselves through after an opening encounter in which Olympiacos managed to hold off a second half comeback from the home side.

Slow start 

Roger Grimau's team were slow out of the blocks and the visitors moved quickly into the lead in the first quarter, scoring six unanswered points from the start. Vesely got Barça's first points on the board and a three pointer from Jabari Parker brought them back to within a point at 13-12. 

Mistakes came easily to both sides in the opening quarter with Abrines' basket bringing down Olympiacos' lead back to one point at 19-18 going into the second period. 

Game goes away from Barça

Two three pointers in a row saw the home side take the lead at 28-25 but the second period saw the Greeks take control of the contest before the half time break at 44-35. The third period continued in the same vein and Olympiacos opened up a 13 point lead at 60-47 before three pointers from Ricky Rubio and Abrines helped Barça claw themselves back into the contest in a febrile atmosphere in the Palau. 

The blaugranes went into the final quarter seven points down at 61-54 and still with hopes of a comeback win in the opening battle of the quarter-final tie. 

Losing home advantage

Barça took inspiration from the crowd in the final quarter to gradually reduce the lead of the team coached by former blaugrana boss Bartzokas. On three occasions the home side came within touching distance of the Greeks but the visitors showed nerves of steel to hang on for an important win at 77-75. Game two comes at the Palau Blaugrana on Friday at 9pm CEST with Barça knowing they will have to win at least once in Greece if they are to make the Final Four in Berlin. 

MATCH STATS 

BARÇA, 75
OLYMPIACOS, 77

Barça: Vesely (3), Kalinic (6), Satoransky (0), Laprovittola (9), Parker (13) - starting five - Da Silva (4), Ricky (10), Hernangómez (13), Abrines (11), Jokubaitis (0)

Olympiacos: Sikma (4), Peters (1), Walkup (0), Canaan (14), Fall (11) - starting five -  William - Goss (15), Wright (4), Larentzakis (2), Brazdeikis (2), Petrusev (12), Milutinov (3), Mckissic.