Zenit-Kazan vs. Zenit | Semi-Final | HIGHLIGHTS | Russian Cup 2026

Kazan and St. Petersburg, as befits top clubs, have a decent history of meetings in the season, and the victory went to the team from the banks of the Neva only once – in the very first game of the season, the semi-final of the Victory Cup. By the way, on the same site – the Dynamo arena in Moscow. With a score of 3:2, Vladimir Alekno's guys won, and then in the final they lost the trophy to the hosts.

In the championship, the St. Petersburg team could not beat Alexey Verbo's team, in the Super Cup they simply did not cross paths. In the semifinals of the decisive stage of the Russian Cup, Zenit proved to be stronger.

In the first set, Alekno's team dominated the Kazan players with their serve: Igor Kobzar, Maxim Kosmin, Marlon Yant, and others recorded an ace each, effectively earning a break in every set. At one point, the St. Petersburg team was leading by 4 points, while Zenit-Kazan scored every time they attacked. In the end, Dmitry Volkov shot back with a number of high–quality break points, and the team from the capital of Tatarstan equalized the score and took the lead - 22:21! But a timely block by Vitaly Dikarev to Mikhail Labinsky, a high–quality defensive game, is a masterpiece pancake from Vladislav Babkevich for netball! – we brought Zenit victory in the game.

In the second set, Stanislav Dineikin, who is having a good time in this Final Six, took the lead. On his serve, the team from St. Petersburg gained a significant advantage, and in the second half of the set, the Kazan team attempted to recover by making a double substitution. However, the mistakes on the receiving end and the poor blocking performance of Alexey Verbo's team made a significant difference. The team's exceptional teamwork also played a crucial role, as we have not seen such a cohesive Zenit team this season, with all the outside hitters contributing equally.

The third set was all about enjoying volleyball at high speeds. Zenit-Kazan got going and started boiling, gaining a small advantage at the start (9:7), and they didn't give up that break, and in the end, they increased it with a successful block, stopping Yant at 20:17. But a reasonable response was immediately followed: Dineikin one-on-one closed Mikhailov's attack, Babkevich immediately followed with an ace, and then Dineikin added. Zenit equalized the score, and the teams plunged into an amazing equal ending, with a ticket to the final of the trophy draw at stake. The St. Petersburg team emerged victorious, with Dikarev and Babkevich delivering a spectacular block.

VFV - volley.ru