CSKA vs Zenit. Preview
Let us recall that on January 20, by decision of the Zenit Basketball Club Board of Directors, head coach Aleksander Sekulic has been relieved of his duties. The following day, in the game against MBA-MAI — which ended in an 83:99 victory for the Blue-White-Sky Blues — the team was led by assistant coach Maxim Uchaykin, who temporarily assumed the responsibilities of head coach.
Today, January 23, it was announced that Belarusian specialist Rostislav Vergun has joined the coaching staff of Zenit first team as an assistant coach and will serve as interim head coach. Vergun has already joined the team and conducted a pre-game practice.
Opponent
CSKA continue to top the VTB United League standings, remaining unbeaten for 11 consecutive games in the competition. The opponent winning streak began with their most recent head-to-head meeting against Zenit, which also took place on the Megasport court. Adding three more victories earned during the same period in the WINLINE Basket Cup, the Moscow side’s run looks more than impressive.
CSKA share first place with Kazan’s UNICS, who trail the red-blues on points differential: both teams have 20 wins and 2 losses. After the game against MBA-MAI, Zenit returned to the top four and close out the leading quartet with 14 wins in 22 games.
It is worth noting that CSKA and Zenit are the top teams in the VTB United League in scoring (92.1 and 88.4 points per game respectively), field-goal percentage (49.6% and 48.8%), and three-point shooting accuracy (38.4% and 39.8%).
The home team’s leading scorer, Melo Trimble, averages 18.6 points per game (second-best in the league) and records 2.1 steals — the best mark in the league.
At Zenit, it's worth highlighting Levi Randolph and Andrey Martiuk, who often took charge of the game during the critical stretch. By the middle of the regular season, the American guard has become the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15 points per game. The Russian center, meanwhile, ranks in the top three of the VTB United League in rebounds (7.4 per game) and has recorded six double-doubles this season.
As for roster changes, they have not been limited to the Blue-White-Sky Blues. Back in late November, the CSKA added Serbian center Luka Mitrovic, while in early January team parted ways with another big man, Tonye Jekiri, who moved to Belgrade’s Partizan.
Head-to-head
Tomorrow will mark the third meeting between Zenit and CSKA in the 2025/26 VTB United League regular season. The game in St. Petersburg was decided in the closing moments in favor of the red-blues (84:85). In the second matchup in Moscow, despite Zenit holding a 14-point lead early on, CSKA again came out on top — 93:88. Overall, the teams’ history in the VTB United League includes 62 games, with Moscow holding the advantage — 39-23.
Direct speech
Zenit’s interim head coach Rostislav Vergun shared his comments ahead of the game against CSKA:
This is not the first meeting between the teams this season. The opponents know each other well, and quality, energy, and desire throughout the entire game will come to the forefront. It’s an important match for our team. We’ll try to manage our preparation time wisely and execute our plan on the court.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: CSKA
Location: Megasport Arena, Moscow
Date: January 24, 16:00 (St. Petersburg time)
Broadcast: Okko Sport, Match TV, VTB League website, VK Video
