CSKA will host UNICS in WINLINE Game of the Week on Saturday.
Place: Russia, Moscow, Megasport
Time: October 25, 2025, 14:00 (Moscow time)
Broadcasts: Match TV, VK Video, League website
Rivalry
CSKA and UNICS are the only teams that have been playing in the League since its very first season. Unsurprisingly, the rivalry history between these clubs is incredibly rich. The teams first played in the 2009/10 season final, where Moscow team won (66:55) and claimed its first title.
In last season’s regular season, the Moscow team dominated in clashes with UNICS: 71:55 and 97:86 in Moscow, 80:73 in Kazan. Only the 4th game in Kazan ended with UNICS win – 86:78. In the Playoffs, CSKA was even more ruthless. Never in the history of VTB United League has a Semifinals ended with a sweep. The series between CSKA and UNICS was an exception and ending with 4-0.
The rivalry history score in the League is 37:13, CSKA leads. In the history of all tournaments, the teams have played 124 games (96-28, the Moscow team leads).
Motivation
A disastrous performance against the championship team largely prompted UNICS’ management to consider the need for change. During the offseason, Kazan team rebuilt the team that had been formed over the past few years, while retaining the head coach and a group of leading players.
Nevertheless, Marcus Bingham, C.J. Bryce, Paris Lee, and Dyshawn Pierre joined the team, with only international Jalen Reynolds remaining. So far, this is working. The new UNICS started with 6 wins and leads the unofficial Power Rankings of the League at the start of the season. Among the defeated opponents are 2 Top 4 teams – Lokomotiv Kuban and Zenit.
In 2022, Kazan team set a club record by starting 8-0. Repeating this achievement in the game against the most difficult opponent would be a beautiful and symbolic story.
Test
CSKA defeated UNICS in the Finals 2024, then advanced to the Semifinals 2025 and became champion again. The Moscow team did not make any radical changes and is now searching for the right plays. This process is not expected to be short-term. After the big win in Krasnoyarsk, Andreas Pistolis noted that “the game cannot be called perfect, but at the moment it is closest to what I want to see during this season.” This was soon followed by an unexpected home loss to Mega in the in-season tournament – the average age of the Serbian team is 20. The Greek coach was no longer so optimistic: “At times we made mistakes as if we were 19 years old.”
The game against UNICS will be a test that will show what kind of team CSKA really is in the autumn stage of the season.
Losses
Dyshawn Pierre and Denis Zakharov are questionable for the upcoming game. According to Perasovic, the absence of important rotation players was felt against Avtodor, which negatively affected the stability and intensity of Kazan team play.
Duel
In recent years, the trend for small ball in basketball has begun to fade. UNICS is in trend: Marcus Bingham (21.7) and Jalen Reynolds (21.5) are in the Top 5 in scoring. CSKA has high hopes for Livio Jean-Charles and Tonye Jekiri, who will try to guard and defeat opponents.
Numbers
UNICS’s record-breaking start in the VTB League with 8 wins was ended by CSKA in Moscow
UNICS plays with discipline and values the ball (11.7 turnovers per game, better only than MBA-MAI with 11.2) and is second in assists (22.5, behind BETCITY PARMA with 22.8).
CSKA is third in the League in three-point shooting percentage – 38.4. However, the Moscow team made only 10 of 44 attempts (22.7%), missing 34 shots against Mega.
CSKA (37.4) and UNICS (36.8) lead the League in rebounds.
3 Kazan team players are in the Top 4 for average scoring this season – Bingham (21.7), Reynolds (21.5), and Lee (21.5). They are behind of Patrick Miller.
