Zenit is going to the Supercup to defend the title. Preview
Participants
This year, there will be two fewer teams compared to last year. In addition to the St. Petersburg team, three of the top clubs from the VTB United League based on last season’s results will take part in the Super Cup — CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, and Lokomotiv Kuban from Krasnodar.
Joining them this year are EuroCup participant Turkish club Beşiktaş, as well as the current champion of the Adriatic League and EuroLeague representative, Crvena Zvezda from Belgrade. While Beşiktaş participated in the cup last year (and lost to Zenit in the 1/8 finals), this will be the Serbian basketball giant's debut. Both teams will provide strong competition for Xavier Pascual’s squad.
Format
The reduced number of participants has affected the Supercup format. The teams will be divided into two groups and will play in a round-robin system, one match against each team. Group A includes CSKA, Lokomotiv Kuban, and Crvena Zvezda.
In the qualifying stage, Zenit will face Beşiktaş and UNICS, the latter of which was just recently defeated on September 6 in the final of the Kondrashin and Belov Cup. Based on the group stage results, all teams will qualify for the playoffs, where three decisive matches will take place: for 5th place, the bronze medal, and the final.
Game Schedule
The blue-whites will begin their Supercup journey on the second day of the tournament, September 12. As in the previous year, their first match will be against Beşiktaş. Last time, the St. Petersburg team secured a confident victory, while the Turkish team continued to battle for 5th place. The match will start at 5:00 PM and will be broadcast live on Match TV.
The next day, at 8:00 PM, Zenit will face UNICS. The game will be broadcast on the Match Igra channel. Additionally, all matches can be watched on the VTB United League website.
The decisive matches will be held on Saturday, September 14.
