4-0: How does such a start look in the Žalgiris yearbooks in the Euroleague? | Euroleague

Žalgiris, who plays in the Euroleague for the 23rd consecutive season, rarely starts the season with such success.

Even during the most successful seasons for the Kaunas team, the start was not as easy as you might think.

Here’s the 1998.In the fall of 2006, in the season that ended more than half a year after Žalgiris captain Darius Maskoliūnas raised the EuroLeague champions cup to the top, Žalgiris people started on average: they achieved two victories in the first four games.

The debutant residents of Kaunas were washed in the first match by Istanbul Ulker in a cold shower 84:99, and in the third match at Žalgiris 82:87 they did not face the Avtodor of Saratov with Gintaras Einikis.

The people of Žalgiris only gained momentum from the fourth round, when they did the “Tau Ceramica” of Vitoria and finally rose to a series of seven victories.

The situation was similar in 2017-2018. season, which Žalgiris ended with the quartet in the final, which he has been waiting for almost two decades.

In the first game of the season, Kaunas crushed Belgrade’s Crvena zvezda (78:76), but in the second game, Moscow’s Chimki (77:85). On matchday three, Barcelona was unexpectedly defeated by the guests (81:75), but soon returned to expect a defeat when Real Madrid landed at home (66:87).

Šarūnas Jasikevičius’s team managed to accelerate only in December, when the five-time Kaunas winners moved up to the top four in the Euroleague.

15 minutes He flipped through the annals of Žalgiris’ performances in the Euroleague and compared what this year’s start in Kaunas looks like in the context of 22 previous performances at the elite continental tournament.

Better just once

Only eight times in 23 years, “Žalgiris” managed to win the first match, as Martin Schiller’s students did this year, defeating Piraeus Olympiacos 68:67.

Even less often, the residents of Kaunas were happy with the ideal result after two matches, only in 2005 and 2012. “Žalgiris” won the first two battles of the season in the Euroleague.

And only in 2012 and this year “Žalgiris” managed to extend the successful series to more than two victories.

The oldest Žalgiris starts without losses

Season	Sir. coach	The result
2012-2013 m.	J.Plaza	5-0
2020-2021 m.	M.Schilleris	4-0
2005-2006 m.	A. Seika	2-0

Žalgiris, the leader eight years ago, went even further with a “clean” record of losses: five wins in a row were recorded. The then Žalgiris, led by Joan Plaza, started the season by killing Cedevita from Zedreb (90:62), Laboral Kutxa from Vitoria (77:71), Olympiakos (79:61), Olympia from Milan (92:87) ) and Anadolu Efes from Istanbul (77:64).

It is interesting that the perfect series of “Žalgiris” was later interrupted by the relatively weaker team of the group “Cedevita”, who made the Kaunas team home after the drama of two overtime (108: 106).

Shar didn’t like the beginnings

It is symbolic that the people of Žalgiris moved perfectly from the place already after the success of the architect Š.Jasikevičius of the last seasons left Žalgiris. The teams he led were a bit more difficult at the beginning of the season.

Šaras, who led Žalgiris four times from start to finish in the Euroleague, was 2-2 three times after four matches, and once, in the first case in 2016, Žalgiris had won only once after of four parties.

Start “Žalgiris” with Š.Jasikevičius

Season	The result
2016-2017 m.	1-3
2017-2018 m.	2-2
2018-2019 m.	2-2
2019-2020 m.	2-2

It is true that after going to Barcelona, ​​Š.Jasikevičius started with more success: in four matches, his team won three times and is the closest pursuer of “Žalgiris” in the tournament table.

Though Shar has failed, Žalgiris has repeatedly started the Euroleague strong, winning at least three of the first four matches.

This has happened six times, including this year.

The first took place in 2003-2004. at the start of the season, when Žalgiris’ team bumped into Siena Montepaschi (56:64) during the first four games with the returned Arvydas Sabonis.

The best starts of the four games of “Žalgiris”

Season	Sir. coach	The result
2012-2013 m.	J.Plaza	4-0
2020-2021 m.	M.Schilleris	4-0
2003-2004 m.	A. Seika	3-1
2005-2006 m.	A. Seika	3-1
2010-2011 m.	A.Petrovičius	3-1
2014-2015 m.	G.Krapikas	3-1

The almost perfect start was repeated in 2005, when Žalgiris with Darjus Lavrinovičius, Reggie Freeman and others went 3-1 after four matches and had only lost against AEK Athens (65:80).

The scenario of at least three victories in four games was repeated in the era of Vladimir Romanov, in 2010. “Žalgiris” with Aco Petrovičius at the beginning of the season landed only in Tel Aviv “Maccabi” (70:86), and in the already mentioned 2012-2013. in the case he even won five times in a row.

The last time before this year’s season, when “Žalgiris” managed to beat its competitors in three out of four cases, it happened in 2014-2015. at the beginning of the campaign. At that time, James Anderson was the undisputed leader of “Žalgiris”, and Kaunas only got “Real” in the first match in Madrid 71:80.

Is everywhere good, at home the best?

When evaluating the beginning of the season “Žalgiris”, it seems even more impressive considering that the first three victories were achieved in the invited arenas.

In this way, Kaunas residents repeated the club’s record, only in 2012-2013 and 2018-2019. the season began with three consecutive travel wins.

Apart from the teams led by J.Plaza, Š.Jasikevičius and M.Schiller, “Žalgiris” started the season only twice with two games won in away games and only 7 out of 23 times he won the first game played in the team. visitor.

The best “Žalgiris” outings in travel

Season	Sir. coach	The result
2012-2013 m.	J.Plaza	3-0
2018-2019 m.	Š.Jasikevičius	3-0
2020-2021 m.	M.Schilleris	3-0
2004-2005 m.	A. Seika	2-0
2015-2016 m.	G.Krapikas	2-0

In this season’s win, “Žalgiris” also started the home game marathon, but to be among the best teams that started the season in front of their fans, M.Schiller’s team will still have to do a lot.

1998-1999 Champion. “Žalgiris”, although somewhat caught between the guests, started the season by winning up to seven straight games at Kaunas Sports Hall, until the impressive series was stopped by Zagreb’s “Cibona” ​​in February (64:74).

The season began in his arena in 2005-2006. The team led by Antanas Sireika, who won the first six matches played in Kaunas. “Grunwald” was stopped only by Climanio of Bologna (81:86).

The people of Žalgiris almost repeated this performance two years later, when they won five consecutive matches at the Kaunas Sports Hall. The “Žalgiris” was then directed by Marcus Brown, who remembered his youth, and the great series was only interrupted by the CSKA Moscow club, which reached Kaunas (60:88).

The best “Žalgiris” outings at home

Season	Sir. coach	The result
1998-1999 m.	J.Kazlauskas	7-0
2005-2006 m.	A. Seika	6-0
2007-2008 m.	R. Grigas	5-0
2010-2011 m.	A.Petrovičius	3-0
2003-2004 m.	A. Seika	2-0
2014-2015 m.	G.Krapikas	2-0

Although there is no shortage of powerful series, Žalgiris loses the first game of the season at home more often than it wins: yesterday’s victory against Anadolu Efes was only the eleventh time in 23 attempts, when Žalgiris’ team presented their fans victoriously.