Tip-off at 5:00 PM for Fenerbahce-Panathinaikos, the opening semifinal of the 2025 Final Four at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Officiating the game are Carlos Peruga, Robert Lottermoser, and Mehdi Difallah.
Probable lineups
Fenerbahce: Hayes-Davis, Colson, Melli, Biberovic, Guduric, Birch, Sanli, Hall, Baldwin, Pierre, McCollum, Bango
Panathinaikos: Nunn, Juancho, Grant, Lessort (?), Sloukas, Osman, Gabriel, Mitoglou, Brown, Yurtseven, Papapetrou, Pleiss
Match preview
Everything is set at the Etihad Arena for the first semifinal of the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four, featuring Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (5:00 PM CET, live on Sky and DAZN). It’s a rematch of last season’s semifinal, where Ergin Ataman’s Panathinaikos decisively defeated the Turkish side on their way to winning the title.
Fenerbahce enters the contest as the second seed, having swept Paris in the quarterfinals (3-0). However, they face a major challenge against a team that has beaten them twice this season and in their last four official encounters. The Turkish squad will rely on standout forward Nigel Hayes-Davis (18.1 PIR) and Europe’s most effective catch-and-shoot defense to overturn last year’s disappointment.
Panathinaikos, third in the regular season and fresh from a grueling 3-2 series win over Efes, looks to reaffirm its recent dominance over Fener. The backcourt duo of Nunn and Sloukas (19.1 and 16.8 PIR respectively) will be key in attacking Fenerbahce’s weak spots in pick-and-roll situations, where the Turks have been vulnerable.
Expect a clash of contrasting styles: defensive intensity and structure versus offensive flair and rhythm control. Rebounding will be a pivotal factor, with both teams ranking among the EuroLeague’s best in this department. If Mathias Lessort returns to action, Panathinaikos could gain a vital edge in the paint.
With 33 European meetings behind them (18 wins for Panathinaikos, 15 for Fenerbahce), the rivalry between these continental giants adds another chapter tonight. At stake: a coveted spot in Sunday’s EuroLeague final.
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