EuroLeague Opening Week: Dubai Shocks Real Madrid as Olympiacos and Bayern Set the Early Pace

The 2026-27 EuroLeague season tipped off on September 24, and the expanded 20-team field immediately delivered on its promise of chaos. In the most stunning result of the opening round, debutant franchise Dubai Basketball shocked European powerhouse Real Madrid 78-77 at the Coca-Cola Arena, instantly scrambling the early standings and proving the newcomers belong at the continent's highest level.[1][2]

The decisive moment came in the final 80 seconds. With Real Madrid holding a narrow 77-75 lead, Dubai guard McKinley Wright IV buried a clutch three-pointer to put the hosts ahead for good. Real Madrid's Andres Feliz missed a desperation shot at the buzzer, sealing a historic victory for a Dubai roster that was assembled just months ago.[1][2]

Dubai's upset was built on sheer physical dominance in the paint. Despite shooting just 40 percent from the floor compared to Real Madrid's 46 percent, Xavi Pascual's squad outrebounded the Spanish giants 45 to 30. Crucially, Dubai pulled down 18 offensive rebounds, generating the second-chance opportunities that kept them afloat during shooting lulls.[2]

Dwayne Bacon paced the debutants with a game-high 24 points, while Wright finished with 12. "We are going to play against one of the greatest teams in the competition," Pascual had warned before the tip-off. "We know how difficult it's going to be... but we have to put full energy with our supporters and be ready to fight for the game until the end." His team executed that mandate perfectly.[1][4]

While Dubai was making history, FC Bayern Munich was surviving a thriller in Sofia, Bulgaria. Bayern edged Hapoel Tel Aviv 86-84 in a game that featured wild momentum swings and a frantic finish. Hapoel erased an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a late lead on an Elijah Bryant jumper, threatening to spoil Anton Gavel's EuroLeague head-coaching debut.[1]

Bayern responded with 34.3 seconds remaining when Johannes Voigtmann sank the go-ahead three-pointer. A final defensive stop secured the win for the German side, who were led by Andi Obst's 19 points and Johannes Thiemann's 15 points and seven rebounds. Dan Oturu posted a monster double-double of 20 points and 12 boards in a losing effort for Hapoel.[1]

"Congratulations to our players on this important victory," Gavel said after the game. "We had some defensive struggles in the first half. We were able to turn that around as early as the second quarter, and the third quarter was clearly our best of the game."

At the top of the early table, defending champion Olympiacos Piraeus opened their title defense with a ruthless offensive display, dismantling Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 106-89 on the road. The Greek side, coming off a loss in the preseason SuperCup final, unleashed a 21-7 run in the first half and never looked back, shooting a blistering 66.7 percent on two-point attempts.[1]

Tyler Dorsey led the Olympiacos onslaught with 25 points, while reigning Finals MVP Sasha Vezenkov added 22. New point guard Jean Montero seamlessly integrated into the champions' system, contributing 15 points and five assists as Olympiacos immediately staked their claim as the team to beat in the 38-round marathon.[1][4]

Elsewhere in the opening week, Valencia Basket edged returning side Beşiktaş 96-94 in a Turkish thriller. TJ Shorts marked his Valencia debut with 26 points, including the game-winning basket, while veteran Nikola Mirotic added 13. Beşiktaş's Jaylen Nowell saw his potential game-winning three-pointer rim out at the buzzer.[1][4]

In Belgrade, Partizan Mozzart Bet blew out Armani Olimpia Milan 92-76 behind a masterclass from Carlik Jones, who racked up 20 points and 10 assists. Partizan's revamped roster hit 11 three-pointers, overwhelming a Milan squad that struggled to find offensive rhythm outside of Marko Guduric and Alec Peters, who scored 17 points each.[1]

With the first of 38 regular-season rounds in the books, the EuroLeague standings already reflect a fiercely competitive landscape. As traditional heavyweights like Real Madrid and Armani Milan look to bounce back from opening-week stumbles, the immediate success of newcomers like Dubai and the resilience of Bayern Munich suggest the race for the 2027 Final Four will be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.[1][3]