By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun
ANKARA
The 2017 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four is set to start Friday at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Dome, where host team Fenerbahce, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow and Olympiakos will battle for the ultimate European club title.
The first Final Four matchup will be title-holders CSKA Moscow taking on Olympiakos at 6.30 p.m. local time (1530GMT). CSKA Moscow will look to repeat their performance in Moscow last year, when they defeated Fenerbahce in a thriller to be crowned Euroleague champions.
However, CSKA Moscow have a tough opponent ahead of them, as they have yet to beat Olympiakos in a Final Four matchup. CSKA eliminated Spain's Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz in playoffs quarter-final matchup to advance to the Final Four.
The second match will see Fenerbahce taking the floor against Real Madrid at 9.30 p.m. (1830GMT). Fenerbahce will seek to benefit from being the host, as more than 10,000 supporters of the Istanbul club are expected to fill out the 15,600-seat Sinan Erdem Dome.
Friday's winners will advance to the final and play for the title on Sunday at 9 p.m. local time. Before the final, losing teams will play a third-place match at 6 p.m. local time.
2017 Turkish Airlines Final Four matchups turned out to be the same as 2015 Euroleague Final Four, when Real Madrid defeated Fenerbahce and Olympiakos in the final to become champions.
Istanbul is hosting the Final Four for the third time after 1992 and 2012.
