Khimki M secured a narrow 73-72 victory over Zenit-2 in the Russian Cup on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The hosts had been in tight contests recently, losing 77-79 to Kamit Tver just a day earlier. Khimki M came into the fixture with momentum from their 64-59 win against Druzhba Moscow on the same date. The result means the visitors extend their positive run while Zenit-2's recent pattern of narrow defeats continues.
Both sides had been playing on September 15, suggesting a busy schedule for the competition. Zenit-2's form shows three losses among their last five matches, all decided by single digits. Khimki M's record is more mixed, though their most recent outing produced a comfortable five-point margin over Druzhba Moscow. The game itself appears to have been decided by the thinnest of margins.
The standings context is limited at this stage of the tournament, with both teams having played minimal fixtures. Zenit-2's recent results include a respectable 88-80 victory over Dynamo Grozny and an 82-75 win against Magnitogorsk. Khimki M's older results from 2023 show wider scorelines and less consistency, though their September 15 performance suggests improvement.
What stands out is the cumulative effect of close games for Zenit-2. They have now lost three of their last five matches by narrow margins, including the one-point defeat to Novosibirsk in April. Khimki M's recent win over Druzhba Moscow was their first in the series of five matches provided. The one-point difference in this cup tie reflects the competitive nature of both sides at this stage.
