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-2 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.