Vs VIRTUS IN THE FINAL – This is the fourth consecutive final against Virtus but the sixth overall. The first dates back to the 1978/79 season: huge favorites, Bologna won 2-0. In 1983/84, the home court advantage was for Olimpia, but it was a best-of-three series characterized only by away victories. Olimpia drew in Game 2 despite Dino Meneghin’s expulsion, but with their center suspended they lost Game 3 at San Siro. Then there was the 4-0 Bologna in 2021; the 4-2 in favor of Olimpia in 2022; the 4-3 again for Olimpia in 2023. So the balance is 3-2 in favor of Bologna in the finals while in the individual matches in the final it is 13-9 again for Virtus. In the previous five, the home pitch was in favor of Bologna in 1979 and 2022 (1-1); while he was in favor of Olimpia in 1984, 2021 and 2023 (1-2).
Vs VIRTUS IN THE PLAYOFFS – Overall, the two teams have faced each other 40 times in playoff games, with balanced records, 20-20; 11-7 for Olimpia in Milan, 13-9 for Virtus in Bologna. After the 1979 and 1984 finals won by Virtus, in the 1984/85 season Olimpia won 2-0 in the quarter-finals against the title holders and then went on to win the scudetto. They met again in the 1994/95 season in the semi-finals and Virtus won 3-2 with home advantage respected in all five matches. Olimpia took revenge in the 1995/96 season, again in the semi-final, 3-1, along the road that would have led them to the scudetto. In 2006/07, Virtus won the semi-final against Olimpia 3-1. In 2014/15 the match took place at quarter-final level and it was a clear 3-0 for Olimpia. Finally, the three finals of the last three seasons. In all we are talking about ten playoff series, 5-5 the balance.
THE LAST FOUR YEARS – In the last four years, the two teams have met 33 times in three different competitions. Only in the Italian Cup have they never met. The score is 18-15 in favor of Bologna; 13-12 in favor of Milan regarding the championship matches.
WHO PLAYED THEM ALL? – Kyle Hines and Shavon Shields are the only Olimpia players who played in all the last finals played against Virtus Bologna. Marco Belinelli and Alessandro Pajola have always been present on the opposing team. Pippo Ricci played in all the finals, but the first one he played in the Virtus shirt. In Olimpia there are three players: Devon Hall and Nicolò Melli.
Source Olimpia Milan
