What does prehistory say about Olympiacos and Panathinaikos: The absolute of the first and the dangerous third place

Playoffs in the Euroleague, with the two “eternal” thrown into the “battle” for a place in Abu Dhabi’s Final Four!

On the one hand, Olympiacos begins his obligations on Wednesday (23/04, 21:30) when he welcomes the Real Madrid In the SEF. One day earlier (22/04, 21:30, Panathinaikos will give his first game with Anadolu Efes In OAKA.

Just before these great matches, it’s worth a look at … recent prehistory. Specifically, we will see how many times they secured the qualification to Final Four The teams that finished in the first place (such as the “reds”), but also those that came out Tuesdays (such as the “Greens”). Of course we are always referring to her present format Euroleagueapplied by the season 2016-17.

Can so far no group which completed the regular season at the top VA has not lifted the mug, but they were all found at least in the four. Indeed, the Real Madrid (2016-17, 2023-24), CSKA Moscow (2017-18), Fenerbahce (2018-19), Barcelona (2020-21, 2021-22) and Olympiacos (2022-23) are the groups that have closed the normal period as first, and all went easy or difficult to Final Four.

For third parties, things are more complicated. To Seven full seasons With the new format, three groups that came out at third place They failed to secure a place in the Final Four. O reason for him Olympic of the 2017-18 season, excluded in the playoffs from ZalgirisPanathinaikos of 2018-19 left except Realand Armani of 2021-22 that failed to overcome its obstacle Anadolu Efes.

Of course, the positive ‘omen’ for him Panathinaicis that unlike the “curse” of the pioneer, the teams that finished third have twice managed to lift the trophy. The reason for the Anadolu Efes of Ergkin Ataman (2020-21) and the Real Madrid of 2022-23, who defeated the final the final Olympic.

*The 2019-20 season is not taken into account, which was interrupted prematurely due to the pandemic.