Russia: final is Dinamo Moscow – Zenit St. Petersburg, that will face each other in 3rd final this season! 5th place for Zenit Kazan.
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Dinamo Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg will fight for the title in the 2020/21 Russian Superliga Parimatch.
For the 3rd time this season, these two teams will compete for the trophy: after facing each other in the final of the Russian Cup and CEV Cup (in which team from russian capital emerged victoriously from both), they will play against each other also in the final of the national championship.
Both Dinamo and Zenit prevailed in exciting semifinal duels in Final Six, in Moscow.
In first semifinal, Zenit St. Petersburg who, surprisingly, fielded Poletaev in the sextet (still lagging behind in condition, as shown by the 0% efficiency in attack, and then replaced by Podrebinkin), defeated Kuzbass Kemerovo after a dramatic tie break.
Good performance by Kliuka, top scorer of the match with 25 points, 59% in attack and 41% efficiency, 2 blocks and 4 aces. In Kemerovo bad day by Markin: 29% in attack and 0% efficiency, 1 block, 1 ace, 5 errors in reception and 4 errors in serving, and by Zaytsev who, despite the good start, falls at the end of the match.
In second semifinal, Dinamo Moscow beat the titleholders Lokomotiv Novosibirsk by a 3-1 (25:17, 25:13, 16:25, 25:23), led by Bulgarian Tsvetan Sokolov, author of 19 points.
Team from country’s capital was unstoppable in the first 2 sets, with rivals not seeing the ball: 25:17, 25:13. Then the entry of Savin (16 points, 67% in attack, 2 blocks and 2 aces) in place of Ivovic and the drop in Moscow reopen the game: 16:25. Fourth set very balanced, but at the first match ball closes Likhosherstov’s block on Rodichev: 25:23.
In the final for 5th 6th place, also played today, Zenit Kazan defeated Fakel Novy Urengoy 3-1, thus qualifying for the next Challenge Cup, despite another bad day for Bednorz, replaced by Voronkov.
The final match between Dinamo Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg will be held tomorrow, and you can see complete results and program of this final six in Moscow.

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| 2020/21 Russian Superliga Parimatch, Preliminary Round playoffs – Final Six in Moscow
| April 5
| POOL A
• Zenit Saint Petersburg – Fakel Novy Urengoy 3-1 (20:25, 25:19, 25:23, 25:17)
| POOL B
• Zenit Kazan – Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 2-3 (25:19, 25:23, 22:25, 27:29, 13:15)
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| April 6
| POOL A
• Dinamo Moscow – Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-1 (20:25, 25:21, 25:16, 25:21)
| POOL B
• Kuzbass Kemerovo – Zenit Kazan 3-2 (21:25, 25:17, 20:25, 25:18, 15:13)
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| April 7
| POOL A
• Fakel Novy Urengoy – Dinamo Moscow 2-3 (28:26, 27:25, 18:25, 22:25, 15:17)
| POOL B
• Lokomotiv Novosibirsk – Kuzbass Kemerovo 1-3 (19:25, 23:25, 25:22, 26:28)
| Standings
| POOL A: Dinamo Moscow 5, Zenit Saint Petersburg 3, Fakel Novy Urengoy 1.
| POOL B: Kuzbass Kemerovo 6 Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 2, Zenit Kazan 2.
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| April 9
• Final 5th-6th place | Fakel Novy Urengoy – Zenit Kazan 1-3 (21:25, 25:23, 15:25, 19:25)
Novy Urengoy: Zhukouski 0, Bogdan 12, Gutsalyuk 9, Zhigalov 9, Volkov 16, Aleksey Safonov 5, Shoji (L); Antipkin 0, Iakovlev 3, Dikarev 2. Not entered: Volodin, Kasatkin (L), Boldyrev. Coach: Nikolaev.
Kazan: Butko 1, Ngapeth 16, Volkov 8, Mikhaylov 22, Bednorz 5, Volvich 12, Golubev (L); Voronkov 13, Zemchenok 0, Krotkov (L), Surmachevskiy 0. Not entered: Alekno, Kononov, Smolyar. Coach: Alekno.
• Kuzbass Kemerovo (1B) – Zenit Saint Petersburg (2A) 2-3 (24:26, 25:22, 26:24, 22:25, 11:15)
Kemerovo: Kobzar 3, Markin 7, Shcherbakov 6, Zaytsev 17, Sivozhelez 16, Krsmanovic 15, Obmochaev (L); Glivenko 0. Not entered: Demakov, Karpukhov, Shishkin (L), Pakshin, Krechetov, Tavasiev. Coach: Verbov.
Saint Petersburg: Brizard 7, Kliuka 25, Pashytskyy 9, Poletaev 5, Camejo 18, Iakovlev 12, Melkozerov (L); Ursov 0, Podrebinkin 8. Not entered: Kovalev, Kurbanov, Filippov, Andreev (L), Kosmin. Coach: Sammelvuo.
• Dinamo Moscow (1A) – Lokomotiv (2B) 3-1 (25:17, 25:13, 16:25, 25:23)
Moscow: Pankov 5, Semyshev 11, Likhosherstov 9, Sokolov 19, Deroo 12, Vlasov 13, Baranov (L); Podlesnykh 0, Sventitskis 0. Not entered: Shchkulyavichus, Siiemshchikov, Belogortchev, Kabeshov (L), Korotaev. Coach: Brianski.
Novosibirsk: Abaev 1, Ivovic 1, Shcherbinin 1, Luburic 15, Rodichev 13, Kurkaev 7, Martyniuk (L); Krivitchenko (L), Savin 16, Lyzik 5, Tisevich 0. Not entered: Tkachev, Kruglov, Komarov. Coach: Konstantinov.
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| April 10
• Final 3rd-4th place | Kuzbass Kemerovo – Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 1-3 (26:24, 23:25, 13:25, 21:25)
• Final 1st-2nd place | Zenit Saint Petersburg – Dinamo Moscow 1-3 (21:25, 18:25, 25:23, 24:26)
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