Dinamo Moscow defeats Zenit Saint Petersburg and win CEV Cup for 3rd time!

Dinamo Moscow defeated fellow countrymen Zenit Saint Petersburg in the rematch of the final of the 2021 CEV Cup by a 3-1 (25:21, 23:25, 28:26, 26:24) and became three-time winners of the second-tier continental club competition, showing better concentration in the decisive moments.
12 aces and better performance on attack, with 65% efficiency, made the difference for the team from Russian capital.
Yarloslav Podlesnykh (4 winning blocks) and Anton Semyshev (71% in attack) scored 24 points each for the winners. The MVP award went to Dinamo’s setter and captain Pavel Pankov who was leading his team towards the victory with smart decisions and impeccable play on the serve with 4 aces, while Ilia Vlasov set up 4 blocks. For Zenit, Ivan Podrebinkin recorded 21 points to his name.
The first match also ended in favor of Dinamo, but 3-2. This year, for the first time in the history of the competition, two Russian clubs met in the final.
Previously, the Moscow club has already won the CEV Cup twice – in 2012 and 2015.

Konstantin Brianskii, head coach of Dinamo: “We are very glad. Every throphy is very important for our club. We want to thanks to the spectators here, they created a great athmosphere in the arena.”

Pavel Pankov, captain of Dynamo and final’s MVP: “It’s always cool to play here. We won the Russian Cup in Saint Petersburg in December, and now we deserved another throphy. However, now we won’t be celebrating. We will strart preparations for the Final Six of Russian Championship.”

Tuomas Sammelvuo, head coach of Zenit: “Of course, we are very disappointed. We were close to win the set and tie the game, but we made a few mistakes. Dinamo deserve this win.”

Ivan Podrebinkin, opposite hitter and best scorer of Zenit in this match (21 points): “We fought and showed good Volleyball. But it wasn’t enough for winning. Very big thanks to our fans, the athmosphere was amazing.”

| 2021 Volleyball CEV Cup | FINAL
| First Leg | March 17, 2021
• Dinamo Moscow – Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-2 (26:28, 25:18, 20:25, 26:24, 15:9)

| Second Leg | March 25
• Zenit Saint Petersburg – Dinamo Moscow 1-3 (21:25, 25:23, 26:28, 24:26)

Source and photos: CEV