Zenit youth team will face CSKA Junior at home

Zenit U21 is preparing to host CSKA Junior on their home court in the upcoming round of the VTB United Youth League. Matches against the league leaders will serve as a real test for the blue-whites ahead of the end of the regular season and the approaching playoffs.

The Moscow team confidently lead the standings with 34 wins and 6 losses. St. Petersburg's team sits in fourth place, having played two fewer games and holding a record of 25 wins and 13 losses.

Right now, CSKA Junior is on an impressive eight-game winning streak. The last time they lost was back in January during a home series against MBA-MAI-Junior, where they were defeated in both matches — 67:84 and 76:78.

Both teams rank among the best in field goal accuracy: CSKA Junior converts 44.1% of their attempts, while Zenit U21 hits 42.5%, trailing only MBA (44.2%). Guests also leads the league in assists (20.1 per game) and rebounds (45.3). Zenit U21 ranks second in assists, averaging 19 per game.

CSKA Junior’s leader, Nikolay Natsvlishvili, is the league's second-best scorer, averaging 18.9 points per game. In February, the forward was named MVP of the month, showcasing stats of 20.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals and a 25.3 efficiency rating.

The rivalry between Zenit U21 and CSKA Junior spans 34 games: hosts has won 13 times, while the Moscow's squad have secured 18 victories. In the first round, the teams split wins: CSKA Junior took the first match (83:80), while the St. Petersburg team got their revenge in the second (75:79).

Zenit U21 head coach Roman Knyazev on the home series:

We have games against the league leaders ahead of us. This is a big motivation for us. The regular season is in its final stretch, so every game matters — for both preparation and results.

The matches will take place on March 12 and 13 at the Zenit Basketball Academy (Severnaya Road, 12). Both games will start at 17:00 St. Petersburg time. Entry for all fans is free, and the matches will be streamed on the VTB United Youth League website.