Denis Zakharov: "We'll try to continue our winning streak"

On the eve of the home match against Astana, Zenit guard Denis Zakharov told what importance the players attach to the difference between goals conceded and scored, and shared his expectations from the upcoming game. The meeting with the Kazakh team will be held on December 11 as part of the 18th round of the VTB United League. The match starts at 19:30 St. Petersburg time.

— Zenit has won 10 matches in a row and recently ended CSKA's 11-game winning streak. Can you tell us about the current atmosphere within the team? Are there more jokes, more smiles, or a sense of relief?

— I can't say there was any burden on us, so the mood is as usual, just as it was before. We'll try to continue our winning streak. Everyone here is a professional, and we'll keep playing our game.

— What do you know about Astana? This team has not won a single meeting yet. Is everything really so hopeless in their game?

— First and foremost, as the coach has said and as we understand ourselves, we need to focus on our own game and demonstrate our approach. It's easy to lose everything in a single moment. That's why we need to step onto the court as professionals, play well and secure a victory.

— Is improving your goal difference a priority for the team?

— Such tasks are never set for us. A win is a win, whether it's by 1 point or 50 points. The main thing is to get the victory, and that will make us happy.

— What are your expectations from the fans? It seems like the atmosphere during the last game was the best since last spring.

— Yes, we'd also like to ask the fans to find the time to come and support us. We'll do our best to reward them with a victory. In the last game, we thanked them with a win for cheering us on and pushing us forward. We’re grateful to them for that.

Tickets for the match against Astana can are available at tickets.bc-zenit.com.