Two draws, two losses, and also two points are the story of Olympiakos Piraeus in this season of UEFA Champions League. Until yesterday, Real Madrid were one of the top eight teams. But they are ninth after the conclusion of the first half of the matches in the fifth gameday of UEFA Champions League.

Rationale: Olympiakos have been good at Kariskakis Stadium games. Real Madrid have yet to win an away game against Greek opponents!

AS Monaco are the placeholder of the last spot that represents qualification in the next round of the UEFA Champions League. PafsFC are right behind them. Stelios Kyriakides Stadium is going to host a very interesting game because both teams have 5 points and thus are the epitome of direct rivalry.

Rationale: AS Monaco are winless in last three games. Teams from Cyprus are improving every season. Pafos FC are celebrating their very first season in the Champions League and they already have beaten Villarreal CF.

Mere one points from four gamedays of UEFA Champions League is not something the fans of Danish football powerhouse, FC Kobenhavn, and Kazakh sensation, Kairat Almaty, would have hoped for. But that is where they are. FC Kobenhavn are 33rd in the standings and Kairat are 35th.

Rationale: Now both teams go all out to brigde the gap of four points with the last playoff spot. Kairat are the Kazakh champ so they have excellent of football in their game.

Regal Bascelona Basket are ninth in the Euroleague standings. This spot may not be what their fans expect from them. But the continental basketball is tough and involves games with tough teams and relentless travel. ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne are one of the last four teams in the bottom which have lost more than two times games than they have won.

Rationale: Regal Barcelona Basket are usually good at Palau Blagruana in the first game of the new week though there are too many games these days!

The same win-loss record and clearly adjacent positions in the points table make this game a close one from the outset. Both Crvena Zvezda Belgrade and Olympiacos Piraeus have won 8 of 12 games. Both of them presently have direct playoff spot.

Anadolu Efes are slipping downhill because of a playing roster affected by injuries. They are 14th in the Euroleague standings. But they are a good road team. They have won two of five road games. AS Monaco have 8th spot thanks to their good performances away from home.

Rationale: Efes are so depleted that the basketball fans aren't even expecting this game to be competitive. But the players joining the team from the reserve section also do well sometimes.

Olimpia Milano are at the door of Euroleague play-in bracket. They have as many wins as losses in 12 games.

Their venerable coach Ettore Messina stepped down, which is currently a matter of the media speculation in the Italian basketball circles, and Pepe Poeta has been chosen to succeed him.

Rationale: Maccabi have lost 9 of 12 games. They will either see the season peter away or at least try to win home court games to increase their playoff qualification chances.