Despite the widespread blackout affecting Spain, Olympiakos’s flight to Madrid is scheduled as planned, and there are no concerns regarding the match’s execution.

The Reds hold a clear advantage after two victories at SEF, but as Giorgos Bartzokas clarified upon the team’s departure, his players must present an even better performance in Real’s home court if they wish to secure their spot in the Euroleague Final Four.

Here are the coach’s statements:

On the 2-0 advantage and what Olympiakos expects from the third game: “I wouldn’t talk about any other game, only about the one we are playing tomorrow. We will try to be better defensively than in the first ten minutes of the last game, to be just as solid, to play for the win, and to overcome some minor injury issues that have arisen. We hope they won’t affect the players’ presence.”

On the difference in Real’s performance at home: “I don’t think it differs for any team. They are a very talented team with experience, and the crowd is particularly demanding. But that’s the case in all arenas across Europe these days. We had the chance to win there during the regular season by playing well overall. We need to replicate that good performance. We can’t win if we aren’t good enough. We must take advantage of whatever Real gives us in this game and control our emotions as we always do in these games—not to get overly excited or discouraged at critical moments.”

On Olympiakos’s shooting struggles: “Yes, of course, we need to shoot the ball well. One could say that Tavares’s presence under the basket makes it difficult to finish many plays close to the rim. The way Real plays creates opportunities for the opponent as long as they run their game—if you shoot well, you win. Therefore, we need to shoot better than we have in the last two games.”

On the role of Walkup’s return: “It’s important that we have a focused perimeter player who has taken on the task of guarding the opponent’s hottest player, whether he is a 1, 2, or 3. The problem with Walkup is that after being out for three months, he cannot play continuously for 10-12 minutes; he needs to play in five-minute intervals and then come out. In the last game, we pushed him more because he had to play ten straight minutes. We need to manage his playing time.”

On the blackout situation in Spain: “We were told that the flight will go ahead as scheduled.”

On priorities during these preparation days: “First of all, we need to keep the team focused, as it is a big trap to think that you have three opportunities. You must only think about the first game. Unfortunately, human nature leads to complacency and relaxation after good results and vigilance after bad ones. We need to show that our level will not allow us to be relaxed. We will go in to win the third game and have more time for rest and preparation. The endeavor is particularly difficult due to the quality of the opponent.”