The 12 best matches of Thursday: the start of two European football cups and Kudermetov vs. Azarenka
Mikhail Georgiev September 20, 2023, 21:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Schedule for September 21: Europa League and Conference League, KHL, tennis showdown and opportunity for revenge in basketball.
A quick link to this schedule is available in the additional menu: “Main matches of the day”.
See all events for September 21 at the Match Center
The program in summary:
🎾 3:00: Veronika Kudermetova (Russia, 7) – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 10), Guadalajara, third round 🎾 6:00: Matteo Arnaldi (Italy) – Aslan Karatsev (Russia), Zhuhai, first round 🏒 12:00 : “Amur” – “Dynamo M”, KHL championship 🏒 15:30: “Sibir” – “Avangard”, KHL championship ⚽️ 17:15: “Orenburg” – “Fakel”, Russian Cup, Group A 🏒 18:00 : “Lada” – CSKA, KHL championship ⚽️ 19:45: LASK – “Liverpool”, Europa League, 1st round ⚽️ 19:45: “Sheriff” – “Roma”, Europa League, 1st round ⚽️ 19: 45 : Legia – Aston Villa, Conference League, 1st round ⚽️ 19:45: Genk – Fiorentina, Conference League, 1st round 🏀 20:00: Lokomotiv-Kuban – CSKA, VTB United League Super Cup, 1/ Final 4 ⚽️ 22:00: Ajax – Marseille, Europa League, 1st round
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The time on the material is indicated in Moscow.
🎾 3:00: Veronika Kudermetova (Russia, 7) – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 10), Guadalajara, third round
Intrigue: Will Kudermetova keep the “zero” in the “losses” column in her confrontation with Azarenka?
Russian Veronika Kudermetova has not reached the quarterfinals of WTA tournaments for three months, starting in Berlin in June. Now the 26-year-old Russian has the chance to achieve a similar result at the top of the thousand meters in Guadalajara. But to do this it is necessary to face Victoria Azarenka in the third round. The tennis players had already faced each other twice and in both cases Verónica was stronger: in Dubai 2022 and Adelaide 2023. How will her third meeting end?
Veronica Kudermetova
Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images
🎾 6:00: Matteo Arnaldi (Italy) – Aslan Karatsev (Russia), Zhuhai, first round
Intrigue: how will Karatsev’s first meeting with the promising Italian end?
Aslan Karatsev, after losing in the third round of the US Open to future semi-finalist Ben Shelton, begins the Asian series of tournaments facing another promising tennis player: 22-year-old Matteo Arnaldi. The Italian is eight years younger than the Russian, but he already surpasses him in the ranking: he is in 48th place and Aslan is 63rd. The tennis players had not met before. How will their first meeting end? In the second round, the winner will play against the strongest representative of the pair, Andy Murray – Ye Tsun Mo.
Aslan Karatsev
Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
🏒 12:00: “Amur” – “Dynamo M”, KHL championship
Intrigue: how will Amur be able to stop Nikita Gusev?
Dynamo are off to an excellent start and the senior first team led by Nikita Gusev looks especially charming. But now Muscovites face a difficult test – a trip to the Far East. “Amur” continues to lose more often, but we have already seen bright flashes in the performance of the Khabarovsk club, such as, for example, a great away victory over “Avangard” (5:1).
Nikita Gusev
Photo: DYNAMO.RU
🏒 15:30: “Siberia” – “Avangard”, KHL championship
Intrigue: Siberia’s victory over the SKA: accident or pattern?
The second Siberian derby of the season is always especially interesting. In the first round of the classic showdown, Avangard took the lead. The Novosibirsk team defeated SKA in the previous meeting, now it is interesting to understand whether this was an accident or a regularity.
Is Siberia’s victory over the SKA an accident or a pattern?
Photo: vk.com/hcsibir1962
⚽️ 17:15: “Orenburg” – “Fakel”, Russian Cup, Group A
Intrigue: Will Orenburg win the Cup for the third time in a row?
“Orenburg” has changed after the dismissal of Jiri Jarosik and the appointment of David Deogracia. Things have improved both in the RPL and in the Cup. The Orenburg team has a meeting with Fakel ahead. The Voronezh team recently changed its coach: Sergei Tashuev came to replace Vadim Evseev. Will this give the Torch an extra boost? Or will Orenburg win the Cup for the third time in a row?
Will Orenburg win the Cup for the third time in a row?
Photo: vk.com/fcorenburg
🏒 18:00: Lada – CSKA, KHL championship
Intrigue: Will Ivan Fedotov play three games in a row for the first time this season?
CSKA has yet to recover from its second consecutive summer championship. The Muscovites have only won three games in eight games and are not sure about the goalkeeper issue. So, Ivan Fedotov, for whom the Army Club is so desperately fighting, missed an unobvious goal in the match against Lokomotiv, so it is not yet clear to whom Sergei Fedorov will entrust the final milestone. Meanwhile, the Muscovites’ rival is in perfect order: Lada, who has returned to the KHL, has four wins in a series of five away games.
CSKA is still recovering from its second consecutive summer championship
Photo: vk.com/hccska
⚽️ 19:45: LASK – Liverpool, Europa League, 1st round
Intrigue: the start of Klopp’s team in an unusual tournament
It is unusual to see Liverpool in the Europa League. But since the situation has developed in this way, the club is obliged to fight for the trophy. Klopp’s team begins with an away game against LASK. Without a doubt, Liverpool are the favorites. But that just won’t happen. LASK probably wants to ruin the big guy’s mood. And I want to achieve results in front of my fans.
Klopp’s team starts in an atypical tournament
Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
⚽️ 19:45: Sheriff – Roma, Europa League, 1st round
Intrigue: Will Mourinho start the Europa League with a victory in Moldova?
Roma starts in the Europa League after losing to Sevilla in the final of the last edition. The Romans this time want to take the trophy. But to do this you will have to go through a difficult path. It all starts with a trip to Moldova to see “Sheriff.” A couple of years ago, the Tiraspol Club beat Real Madrid. Therefore, Roma should not underestimate their opponents.
Roma starts in the Europa League
Photo: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
⚽️ 19:45: Legia – Aston Villa, Conference League, 1st round
Intrigue: Are Aston Villa with a squad full of stars beginning their march towards the trophy?
Aston Villa is one of the favorites in the Conference League. With such a stellar cast, it couldn’t be any other way. And coach Unai Emery is an experienced European Cup fighter. Villa starts with a match in Poland against Legia. He is not the most difficult opponent. There are possibilities to start successfully.
Aston Villa is one of the favorites in the Conference League
Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
⚽️ 19:45: Genk – Fiorentina, Conference League, 1st round
Intrigue: Fiorentina without Kokorin, but with the Conference League. Can you win the trophy this season?
Fiorentina reached the Conference League final last season but lost to West Ham. Can you win the trophy this time? There are possibilities, but there is a long way to go. It starts for the “violets” in Belgium. Genk is probably the Florentines’ main rival in the group. If Fiorentina takes the three points, their chances of winning first place will increase considerably. It is true that Alexander Kokorin, who left for Aris in Cyprus, can no longer help the club.
Fiorentina reached the final of the Conference League last season
Photo: Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images
🏀 20:00: Lokomotiv-Kuban – CSKA, VTB United League Super Cup, quarterfinals
Intrigue: Will CSKA avenge the disappointing semi-final defeat?
Last season of the VTB United League the teams faced each other in the semi-final phase. The series continued until the seventh game, where the Krasnodar team turned out to be stronger. Lokomotiv eventually reached the final, but lost to UNICS Kazan. Nikola Milutinov and Alexey Shved, who were the team’s defining basketball players, left CSKA. Will the Moscow team become the first two-time champion of the Super Cup or will a new champion await us again this year?
Casper Articles
Photo: VTB United League
⚽️ 22:00: Ajax – Marseille, Europa League, 1st round
Intrigue: the best signing in the Europa League
The most powerful poster in the Europa League. And in Group B there is also Brighton! That’s why fire is expected in the quartet on every tour. It is more common to see Ajax in the Champions League, but this time the club ended up in the League of Legends. Marseille also played in the Champions League last season, but has now fallen to a lower position in the tournament. It is even more interesting to see the meeting of two great teams. Who can take the lead after the first round?
Ajax is more accustomed to seeing in the Champions League
Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
