Zenit U21 will play against Avtodor-2 away

The blue-whites are heading to Saratov for a two-game showdown against the local Avtodor-2. The matches will take place as part of the second lap of the regular season of the VTB United Youth League.

After 26 games, the Volga team is in the penultimate position in the standings, having 6 wins. In the last round, the Saratov team hosted one of the league leaders, CSKA-Junior. Both matches were won by the guests — 70:75 and 61:88, respectively.

Perhaps the key player for today's Avtodor-2 is Anton Sushchik. The center is the team's top scorer (averaging 14.1 points per game) and has long been the league's leading rebounder, with 12 rebounds per game.

In the history of the VTB United Youth League, the two teams have faced each other 43 times. So far, Zenit U21 has the upper hand in this rivalry, with 23 wins compared to Saratov's 20.

Head coach of Zenit U21, Roman Knyazev, on the matches against Avtodor-2:

We've arrived in Saratov in high spirits. We understand that our opponent has strengthened over the course of the season, and their leaders now look quite different compared to the home games. Our players are eager to make up for past shortcomings and show a mature performance throughout the entire match.

The games will take place on January 13 and 14 at the "Zvezdny" sports complex. Both matches will begin at 13:00 St. Petersburg time. The games will be broadcast on the VTB United Youth League website.