Zenit-2 will face Kupol Rodniki on home court

The reserve team of the blue-whites will host Kupol Rodniki from Izhevsk on their home court. The game will take place as part of the 20th round of the regular season of the Fonbet Super League. Here’s a closer look at the upcoming match.

In their last six games, the visitors managed just one victory, defeating Tambov at home (65:52). Sergey Chernov’s squad is facing significant challenges, sitting in 12th place in the standings and drifting further away from the playoff zone.

Looking at the statistics, Izhevsk stands out as the best defensive rebounding team in the Super League, averaging 27.7 defensive rebounds per game.

The visitors' top scorer is Daniil Karvanen, who has prior experience playing for Zenit’s youth and reserve teams. This season, the guard is averaging 12 points per game.

The upcoming match will mark the sixth head-to-head meeting between these teams. So far, Zenit-2 holds the advantage with three wins compared to Izhevsk’s two.

Head coach of the blue-whites Oliver Popovic shared his expectations for the game against Kupol Rodniki:

The Super League this year is very competitive, with many unexpected results and games where favorites struggle to win. Izhevsk is an experienced team, and we shouldn’t be misled by their current position in the standings. I expect an uncertain game. Clearly, for various reasons, we’re not in the rhythm we had before New Year. Nevertheless, I’m hoping for the best.

The game will take place on January 28 at the Zenit Basketball Academy (Severnaya Road, 12). Tip-off is at 18:00 St. Petersburg time. Admission is free for all fans. A live broadcast of the match will be available on the Russian Basketball Federation’s website.