All for the Ugra derby!

Battle for six points, battle of neighbors in the standings, Ugra derby - all these epithets can be used in relation to the upcoming match between Gazprom-Ugra and Ugra-Samotlor on Saturday. certainly, important and principled match, in which, for the first time in many years, our guests, at least formally, can be considered favorites.

They are two wins ahead of us, they have quite fresh and significant victories in store over Kuzbass and Kazan Zenit, for them is currently the best scorer of the Super League Vitaly Papazov. Does it mean that, that Gazprom-Yugra is the underdog of the confrontation? Not! With a slightly more favorable combination of circumstances, we could go on equal terms in the table (the last three matches the Surgut team gave in hard endings in a tie-break), and the current game model of Surgutyan without a clear leader in the attack is no worse than that, used by the people of Nizhnevartovsk.

The game will be equal and its outcome is unpredictable. In addition to Papazov, Yugra-Samotlor has a powerful Masliev, reincarnated his career, there is an inventive Bogachev, experienced Makarenko, there is a "tower" Piun and reliable Verny, two equivalent binders, that is, a completely complete set of tools for a successful game with almost any opponent. And these guys will do their best in Surgut: here is a chance to break away in the fight for the playoffs, and fix the general karma of the Ugra derby.

For Gazprom-Yugra, the game with Nizhnevartovsk is about the same. And arguments, as opposed to playing the first round, Surgut residents noticeably increased. Rajab Shahbanmirzayev got on the wing, entered the hot rotation of Kostylenko, Nikishin and Fialkovsky, everything is ok and in the center of the grid. The team gained speed and three lost tie-breaks will remain an annoying thorn on the topic “how high the team could climb, outright loser of the first round of the championship ". The game itself can be consolation for the fans - Gazprom-Yugra offers a quick, European, if you want to, volleyball, which is being talked about so much now, but so far few people profess.

On Saturday, the Premier Arena will not be hot and emotionally Siberian. All answers to the question, for what we love volleyball, will be given on the site - I have no doubt about it. Fans, your support in the stands may well be the deciding factor. All for the Ugra derby!