14/04/2016 09:52
Zenit vs Resovia – Facts and figures ahead of next episode in Russia-Poland rivalry
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Luxembourg, April 14, 2016. The semi-final starring hosts Asseco Resovia RZESZOW and 2015 gold medal winners Zenit KAZAN of Russia will open on Saturday afternoon at 16:30 local time the much anticipated Final Four tournament of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men taking place at the iconic TAURON Arena in Krakow. The first semi-final will be a remake of last year’s Champions League gold medal match in which the Russian armada from Tatarstan won their third CL crown in history after beating Asseco Resovia RZESZOW 3-0. On their way to Krakow, Zenit KAZAN have already secured their eighth title in the highly competitive Russian national league whilst Resovia will soon – on April 21 – start the Championship series of the PlusLiga with Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE.
Russia-Poland rivalry
Zenit KAZAN have won four of their last five Champions League matches against teams from Poland. They were only beaten in a 5-set match against PGE Skra BELCHATOW in the first leg of the Playoffs 6 last March, which ended Zenit’s 28-match winning streak.
Asseco Resovia, on the other hand, have lost their last two Champions League matches against Russian sides, since a 3-1 away win last season against Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK in the Playoffs 6. However, their 2-3 home loss to Lokomotiv in the second leg of the 2015 Playoffs 6 did not prevent Asseco from qualifying for last year’s Final Four, which took place at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany.
These teams lost only one set each in their group stage matches this year, fewest of all teams. Asseco Resovia dropped one set in their away match with Belgium’s Volley ASSE-LENNIK and Zenit KAZAN did the same in their fixture with Halkbank ANKARA contested in Turkey’s capital.
Zenit KAZAN
Zenit KAZAN are playing in the Final Four for the sixth consecutive year. They have reached the final in three of the previous five years (2011, 2012 and 2015). Zenit are vying to reach their fifth Champions League final, after 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2015 and their fourth CL crown – that would be a record as they currently share the top position in the all-time lists with three-time gold medal winners Belogorie BELGOROD and TRENTINO Diatec.
This year’s Finals taking place in Krakow may be a good omen for Zenit KAZAN as they have claimed two of their three CL crowns so far on Polish soil – in 2008 and 2012 when the Final Four was held in Lodz.
Zenit have won 20 of their last 22 Champions League matches, only losing to Halkbank ANKARA on March 11, 2015 (3-2) and PGE Skra BELCHATOW on March 16, 2016 (3-2), both in Playoff 6 matches.
Zenit have won at least one set in each of their last 33 Champions League matches, since a 3-0 group stage defeat to Lube Banca Marche MACERATA on October 22, 2013.
Cuban-born Wilfredo Leon Venero (MVP of the 2015 Final Four, see picture) scored 80 points in the Playoffs, at least 14 points more than any other player. Over the whole competition, Leon has served up 26 aces, most of all players. Having played in a total of 27 sets, Leon has produced almost one ace per set on average.
Asseco Resovia RZESZOW
Asseco Resovia RZESZOW are aiming for their third Champions Cup/Champions League final, after 1973 and 2015. Both times they finished as runners-up after losing to CSKA MOSCOW and Zenit KAZAN, respectively. The only Polish side to win the Champions Cup/Champions League are Plomien MILOWICE in 1978.
Since the CEV Volleyball Champions League was officially established back in 2000, Poland’s best result to date in the competition are the silver medals claimed by PGE Skra BELCHATOW and Asseco Resovia RZESZOW in 2012 and 2015, respectively. In both occasions these teams lost the gold medal match to Zenit KAZAN.
Both of Asseco Resovia’s last two defeats in the Champions League came against Russian sides: a 3-0 defeat to Zenit in the 2015 final and a five-set defeat to Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK in a Playoff 6 match in 2015, which nevertheless did not prevent the Polish team from qualifying for the Final Four as they had previously recorded a 3-1 away win in Russia. The defeat against Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK was Asseco’s only loss in their last six Champions League matches in Poland.
Asseco Resovia have produced 2.2 aces per set on average, a competition-high alongside Russia’s Dinamo MOSCOW.
Their Ukrainian-born middle blocker Dmytro Pashytskyy has an average of 1.38 points from blocks per set (18 points, 13 sets), the best average of all players in this year’s competition.
Click here for further information and visit the official website www.assecoresovia.pl/en/newsfinalfour/
A live gallery of the competition will be available right here; on social media please use the official competition hashtags #CEVChampionsLeagueM and #CLF4Krakow
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