Zenit vs Avtodor. Preview

After a tough road stretch, Zenit is finally returning to their home arena. Tomorrow, January 27, the Blue-White-Sky Blues will host Avtodor in the 24th round of the VTB United League regular season. Much has changed since their last meeting in early January in Saratov. The St. Petersburg team has a new head coach on interim basis, and Rostislav Vergun is already preparing the team for the home game against the black-white squad. Here’s the most important information about tomorrow’s matchup.

Opponent

Unlike Zenit, which has already played four matches against Pari NN, Loko, MBA-MAI, and CSKA, Avtodor has played only one game during this period. The Volga road derby against the Nizhny Novgorod team ended in a decisive 81:56 victory for Milenko Bogicevic’s squad.

Avtodor enters this game after a ten-day break. We remember well how dangerous Avtodor can be and the battle they put up on their own court, when in the final quarter Zenit’s lead quickly dropped from 30 to 11 points. So the upcoming game promises to be very exciting.

Avtodor’s leader is center Alen Hadzibegovic, who averages 17.3 points per game (top 4 in the league) and 9.3 rebounds (the best in the tournament).

Head-to-head

The first game in Saint Petersburg ended 90:67 in favor of the Blue-White-Sky Blues. The match in Saratov, despite a comeback by the home team, also went to Zenit — 62:75.

Tomorrow’s game will be the 31st meeting between the two teams in the VTB United League. Zenit maintains confident leadership with 25 wins against Avtodor’s 6.

Direct speech

Zenit interim head coach Rostislav Vergun shared his thoughts ahead of the game against the Saratov team.

— Avtodor is a very coachable, well-organized team. They’ve had a fairly long break for this point in the season to prepare for the upcoming game. I’m sure this is a big match for them, and they will be well-prepared. But our task is to demonstrate our level of skill for 40 minutes, stay focused, and add quality both in team offense and defense. I believe that together this should lead us to a positive result.

— This will be your first game at CSC Arena in your new role. What would you like to say to the fans?

— It’s definitely an exciting moment. I understand how serious this organization is, with very high ambitions. I want to do everything I can to help the team achieve positive results and get through these challenging times.

I’ll repeat what I told the guys: I’m a team player. For the team, I’m ready to take on any challenge, and I believe this season should end on a high note. We need to find our own path, the right way forward. The management is doing everything for this, and all that remains for us is to continue working, believing, and finding our way.

Who. Where. When.

Opponent: Avtodor Saratov

Location: CSC Arena, St. Petersburg

Date: January 27, 19:30 (local time)

Broadcast: Okko Sport, VTB United League website, VK Video, Start Basket

Tickets available on the club’s website