Victory over Dynamo as an important sparring before Final Four

Alekno's two teams

We will directly say that the two last matches of the championship out of the three – with Dynamo and Belogorie (12 April) will be an excellent practice for the Kazan players before Final Four of the Champions League in Poland (16-17 April). These giants of the Russian and European club volleyball and a meeting with Enisey (9 April) in Krasnoyarsk will help Zenit to practice its products on the day before the most important games in the Champions League. Zenit had 65 points before the meeting with Dynamo, which had 53, and Belogorie scored 49. It means that at present that the Moscovites are the main candidates to occupy the place of the runner-up of the Russian Championship, which gives a direct ticket to the Champions League group stage. It is a serious stimulus.

In this season, Zenit and Dynamo met twice, and they reached the tiebreak in both matches. In addition, the Kazan players demonstrated a gutsy win twice while losing 0-2 in sets: in the Championship of Russia in October, the Moscow players took the lead 14-11 in the fifth set (!), but lost. In December, Zenit repeated that bone-rattling scenario in the semi-final of the Russian Cup! Moscow crashed out of the Champions League, did not reach success in VTB Cup. Moreover, a doping scandal with the participation of one of the leaders of the team Aleksander Markin broke in January. Libero of the team Aleksey Obmochaev was expelled from the team in March. But there is the leader of the national team of Italy opposite Ivan Zaytsev, a son of a great player of CSKA and the national team of the USSR Vyacheslav Zaytsev. The guy has already scored 324 points in 22 matches and goes after Konstantin Bakun (528), Wilfredo Leon (375) and Dmitry Musersky (332).

In this season, Zenit and Dynamo met twice, and they reached the tiebreak in both matches

Knock-down in debut

If only all teams, formally non-motivated, played like Zenit. I think that the coaches of Polish Resovia, a rival of the Kazan players in the Champions League semi-final, scratched their heads much under the impression of what they saw: how the host team started to execute the Moscovites in a serve performed by Maksim Mikhailov first, then it was Wilfredo Leon's turn, so Dynamo was knocked down. 8-1 after two consecutive aces of Leon, an ace of Matt Anderson – the score already was 15-4. It seemed that the court was occupied by two teams of different levels, Zenit was better than Dynamo in all components of volleyball. Everybody who should score points did it: Mikhailov, Leon, Anderson. And how Aleksander Butko, who stood back to the net, beautifully and skillfully flicked the ball into the rival's territory! In a word, the score of the first set speaks for itself – 25-9. But a phrase 'The score is so awfully unseemly!' that came from the group of the warming up substitutes of Zenit set the teeth on the edge.

Gloves off

The substitution of setters – Sergei Grankin with Pavel Pankov – and an angry speech of the mentor of Dynamo Oleg Antonov yielded fruits. The guests started the second set in another manner. After Maxwell Holt's ace, the score was 7-10, it was what made the coaching staff of Zenit take its first timeout in the match. The Moscovites were in the zone, their block started to function, and they started to make fewer mistakes. However, 12-15. A preparation for the Champions League can be different. The players of the host team made their adjustments, and here it all began. Anderson's two consecutive killing aces, the scoreboard indicated a tie – 17-17. Leon joined, he shot to death and slyly flicked the ball – 20-17. No, Dynamo did not wave a white flag, the team fought till the end and managed to take the initiative, so they did it. They won the set in a nervous end. Holt had the second successful ace, 26-28. The gloves were off.

And at the beginning of the third set Zenit's gloves were off. Andrey Aschev had such a spectacular float! Look at Butko demonstrated a football inside footer who kicked the ball through the net. What a block started to function at Zenit! Briefly, the mentors did not make any substation yet, everything corresponded to the plan. It was a very beautiful set, the rivals were worthy of each other, there were too long rallies, the spectators just oohed and aahed. But Anderson's serve hit, Aschev received the roll shot, Leon's shot, – that's it, 25-17.

The Kazan players were not going to make the spectators wait who thirsted for seeing the award ceremony

Not to make the spectators wait

The Kazan players were not going to make the spectators wait who thirsted for seeing the award ceremony of the newly baked champions of Russia. This is why they started the fourth set in a businesslike manner – 8-4 after Anderson's next ace. Initially, Dynamo did not plan to play to lose. For this reason, they tried to do everything possible to postpone the award ceremony, 12-10. But Zenit decided not to delay it, so did they. Aleksander Gutsalyuk's crafty discount, 19-14, but Dynamo players were good, they fought till the end, 20-17 in block. Give it a rest! And Holt's ace worked again. Good things come in small packages, Leon's block, 24-21. He was the person who dropped the curtain – 25-21. Then the award ceremony was waiting for the champions of Russia. However, it is early to celebrate. Champions League will be the benchmark of the success of the season for the Kazan players, not the domestic championship.

Vladimir Alekno: 'Our one serve killed Dynamo'

First of all, the head coach of Zenit Vladimir Alekno noted the killing serve and said that he was satisfied with the game of his team.

Zenit realised 93% of its attacks in the first set. Is it an ideal volleyball?

There was not a volleyball there at all. Our one serve killed Dynamo. We paid for it in the second set to a certain degree when the serve was not the same. Everything changed at once, we needed to rearrange. Serve either exists or not. We are working on a less dependence on it.

This match is one of the preparation stages for Final Four of Champions League. Are you satisfied with the quality of the game?

I am. There are technical moments we need to improve. We will add a general game, everything is to be in order.

Today you've had only one substitution in the match.

These guys will have the main load in Poland. It was important for them to play against a strong rival.

Oleg Antonov: 'The guys were frightened'

The head coach of Dynamo Oleg Antonov supposed Zenit to be very motivated…

The first and the second sets were too different as if two different teams had played…

I agree with you, two different teams played in the first and the second sets. It is a sport. I think we burnt out before the start. Kazan was very motivated as the champion of the country when it approached the last domestic match of the season. But our guys were frightened. Then they calmed down, started to show their teeth. And anyway, we had more our own mistakes.

How could you explain Zaytsev's not a very good game?

I cannot say.

What about Grankin?

He has a small but a very unpleasant injury. Pankov twisted his ankle, and they did not train during the whole week…