EC - Basketball - Europe - ULEB - Euro Challenge

VTB United League is new club competition founded in 2008 with aim to unite leading clubs of Eastern Europe. Tonight it‘s the start of this league‘s Final Four in Kaunas with semifinal matches between CSKA - Khimki and Zalgiris - UNICS.

As the Final Four is in Kaunas whole my attention goes to second semifinal between Zalgiris and UNICS. Both teams came this match in the perfect fit and wonderful spirit because of the bright wins last week. Zalgiris knocked out Turkish Fenerbahce in the Euroleague draw game and passed to Top-16. UNICS in its turn managed to defeat the CSKA in the Russian Championship.
For me the big favourite – bigger than bookies are offering – for this game is Zalgiris. Because they are playing at home (this season they have beat here such names as the same CSKA, Cibona and Lietuvos rytas) and the fans are high-flying in Kaunas. Moreover, Zalgiris is in excellent shape right now and after the Butautas became head coach just before Christmas they didn’t lost a single game. Both teams added some new players recently: Slovenian playmaker A. Capin and M. Delas joined Zalgiris and Polish forward M. Lampe UNICS.
Lastly, everybody is whispering that in the final it should battle of legends between Zalgiris-CSKA as the remembering of 80s – so today we could expect some referees calls in favour for the home site.

Ps. You get a wonderfull multi of CSKA + Zalgiris today.

Record Date : 21/01/2010 15:31