The group stage of the 'Final Six' for the Russian Cup has started in Moscow, with two of the favorites already on the first day making a strong claim for a spot in the semifinals.
In Group B, the reigning trophy holder 'Lokomotiv' (Novosibirsk) started successfully with a 3:1 victory over 'Dynamo-LO' (25:17, 25:23, 23:25, 25:19). Plamen Konstantinov's team controlled a large part of the match, although they showed some fluctuations in the third set.
In Group A, 'Dynamo' (Moscow) demonstrated class and left no chances for 'Belogorie' - 3:0 (25:23, 25:22, 25:11). The Muscovites were stable in all elements and particularly convincing in the third set.
After the first day, 'Lokomotiv' and 'Dynamo' lead their respective groups, and the battle for the semifinals will intensify, as only the top two teams from each group advance.
Today's schedule continues with two more interesting matches:
16:00 – 'Zenit' (Saint Petersburg) vs 'Belogorie'
19:00 – 'Zenit-Kazan' vs 'Lokomotiv' (Novosibirsk)
The evening match generates significant interest, as Plamen Konstantinov's team will face the most decorated club in the tournament – 'Zenit-Kazan', winner of 12 Russian Cups.
