CSKA — Avtodor, 05 January 2026
LIVE: Match! Igra, Start Triumph, Start Basket
VTB-League.com, VK Sport, OKKO.sport
22:00: Match! Strana
Jan 6 (Tue):
Match! Igra: 4:10, 10:30
Match! Strana: 8:20
Start Basket: 18:00
Our team will play its first game of 2026 at the Basket Hall Moscow against Avtodor...
After four days off
The date of the last game of 2025 turned out to be very opportune. It allowed the coaching staff to organize a mini-vacation for the team. Some players managed to fly to warmer climes, while others enjoyed the snowy Moscow region – all in all, it was a good reset.
The red-and-blues returned to the gym on January 2 and managed to hold three full practices before the game against Avtodor. During these days, the club said goodbye to Tonye Jekiri. Vladimir Karpenko, who is recovering from a leg injury, and Antonius Cleveland, who is in Krasnodar with his family due to his son's illness, as well as Aleksandr Gankevich, who sprained his ankle, were absent from training.
"We have to remember that our previous game was difficult," noted CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. "Avtodor is proving they can play serious and consistent basketball. We need to stay focused after the break and continue to play well."
A tough December in Saratov
The final month of last year proved a real challenge for Avtodor in terms of personnel. First, after the FIBA "window", one of the team's leading players, Terrence Edwards, who averaged 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, did not return to Saratov. Then came injuries to the team's leading scorer, Malik Newman (18.5 points), Dusan Beslac (13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds), Artem Klimenko, and Grigory Motovilov. Essentially, the Volga team played out the rest of December with only one foreign player, Alen Hadzibegovic (18.0 points, 9.2 rebounds). They were forced to bolster their roster with the loan signings of Pavel Zemsky from Zenit and Daniil Kosko from Lokomotiv-Kuban. Incidentally, Zemsky immediately assumed a major role, playing 34 minutes per game, averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
Against this backdrop, Milenko Bogicevic's men achieved their main goal: they won two of their previous three games, defeating their table neighbors Samara and Uralmash to maintain their chances of reaching the top eight.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 71-16
Game of 2025-26 VTB League season:
08-Nov-2025. Avtodor – CSKA: 82-86 (+4)
Brief dossier
Avtodor Saratov
Founded: 1960
Colors: black, white
Home court: Kristall Ice Palace (5,500)
President: Oleg Rodionov
Head coach: Milenko Bogicevic
Website: www.avtodor.ru
Trophy case: 4-time Russian League runner-up (1994, 97, 98, 99), 2-time Russian League bronze winner (1992, 96), EuroCup semifinalist (1998), Superleague A champion (1997, 98), Superleague B champion (2009), Superleague champion (2013/14)
