The opponent's path is already difficult
Our team is hosting Samara at Megasport, which has lost all 13 of its VTB League games so far...
Russian project on Volga
This season, Samara became the second team in the tournament to decide to play without foreign players – partly out of necessity, partly strategically. And, unlike MBA-MAI, the available Russian players have so far only delighted fans with individual performances – the team is winless.
From a personal perspective, it's gratifying to note the success of Nikita Mikhailovskiy, who has had an excellent training ground over the past two seasons at CSKA. The young forward is Samara's undisputed leader, ranking first in the VTB League in scoring (20.8), fourth in efficiency (20.6), and fifth in rebounds (6.9). Volga team also boasts Dmitry Cheburkin (18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds) and another former CSKA player, Mikhail Kulagin (13.8 points, 3.8 assists).
To play better than in Samara
The red-blues finally got a full day off after their victory over BETCITY Parma. Only Ivan Zaytsev and Daniil Klyuchenkov, who played in CSKA-2's epic victory over Dynamo Ufa, which advanced the reserves to the Gazprombank Russian Cup quarterfinals, were unable to rest.
The main squad gathered at Megasport on Thursday evening, worked out in the gym, and held a full practice, with only Anton Astapkovich (illness) missing.
"We didn't have our best game in Samara," said CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. "Besides, our opponents have proven they're ready to seize every opportunity - as they did in their recent game against Uralmash. So we need to take the game seriously and enjoy the basketball on the court. I hope the fans will come and enjoy the game with us."
Past matchups
Wins-losses in VTB League: 9-0
2025-26 VTB League regular season game:
30-Sep-2025. Samara – CSKA: 63-82 (+19)
Brief dossier
BC Samara
Founded: 1976
Colors: blue, white
Homecourt: Vladimir Vysotsky Palace of Sports (5,000)
CEO: Igor Bochkarev
Head coach: Vladislav Konovalov
Website: bcsamara.com
Trophy case: Russian League bronze winners (1996, 97), Superleague 1 champions (2019, 21), Russian Cup winners (2020, 22)
