Zenit vs Lokomotiv Kuban. Game 2 preview
Context
After the opening game, Lokomotiv head coach Andrey Vedishchev admitted that his team lacked toughness, their defense was poor, and several players were not ready for the match at all.
From a statistical standpoint, one thing that stood out in the first game was the high number of fouls from both sides. Both Zenit and Lokomotiv committed 30 fouls each, which significantly influenced the flow of the game, especially in the early stages.
In shooting accuracy, the blue-whites led both in mid-range shots (57.6% vs. 42.6%) and from beyond the arc (53.8% vs. 25%). However, in another category — offensive rebounds — the advantage was on the side of the "railroaders": the visitors grabbed 15 boards on Zenit’s glass. Xavi Pascual mentioned this in the post-game press conference. The St. Petersburg coach noted that his team performed well in defensive transitions, but struggled with rebounding.
Head-to-head
Zenit’s victory broke a tradition in this rivalry where teams had only been winning on the road — a streak dating back to last year’s bronze medal series. For the first time this season, Zenit defeated Loko on their home court and extended their lead in overall head-to-head stats in the VTB United League. Petersburg now has 20 wins, while Krasnodar holds 17.
Quotes
Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual on tomorrow’s match:
It's our second game and I'm sure it's going to be very difficult. Most probably the game will be completely different and we need to have the same level of intensity, concentration and after that to read the game which way it's going to go. For sure we ask one more time all the supporters to come and to be all together because we need them. For us, this year is extremely important to keep the home advantage until the end of the season.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: Lokomotiv Kuban
Location: CSC Arena, St. Petersburg
Date: May 7, 20:00 (local time)
Broadcast: Match TV, Okko Sport, VTB League website, Start TV
