Sergey Karasev: "We need to play with full commitment, bone to bone"

Zenit captain Sergey Karasev shared his expectations for the away game against UNICS Kazan, which will take place tomorrow, January 5, at 15:00 St. Petersburg time. The match is part of the 22nd round of the VTB United League regular season and will be the first game of the year for the blue-whites.

— How did you prepare for the next game against UNICS?

— We had a good training week. We had a day off on the first of January, but otherwise, we prepared and analyzed their team. Overall, our mindset is combative, and all the guys are ready to play, ready to take revenge for the loss in St. Petersburg.

— Last time, you mentioned that you worked hard during the break and managed to achieve a landmark victory against CSKA. Were you able to work on yourselves and improve during the holidays this time?

— Of course, we managed both to work and to rest, including emotionally. We trained well during the week leading up to the game in Kazan.

— It is said that UNICS has the strongest defense in the championship. What do you see as their main strengths?

— Yes, they are a very well-balanced team overall, and it's tough to compete with them on rebounds. We need to play our basketball, give 100%, and play with full commitment, bone to bone. We can’t give up a single inch on the court and must try to eliminate the ups and downs from our game. We need to avoid fluctuations and strive to fight from the first to the last second.