Betim, Brazil, October 20, 2016 - The two most powerful clubs of the world nowadays met at the final game of Day 3 in Betim and home favourites Sada Cruzeiro finished as winners over European champions Zenit Kazan 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 26-24, 25-20).
A true Cuban showdown was featured by Cruzeiro’s Yoandy Leal and fellow wing spiker Wilfredo León from Kazan, as both topped their respective teams. Leal won the battle with 18 points over León’s 17. Evandro Guerra’s 14-point game was another of the highlights of this awesome game.
Many adjectives could fall short of what the match was - not only a very close contest but also a game well-played, with a high-pace volleyball that made the stands at Ginásio Divino Braga to vibrate. In that fashion, the two first sets opened the way to a 1-1 tie, with stars Leal, León, Evandro and Matt Anderson igniting the shouts of local fans.
A critical moment happened on the third act, because Kazan led until the very end and even had a set point on their hands (24-23), but after the tie, Cruzeiro was relentless to jump ahead and close it with a magnificent play from setter William and middle-blocker Simón. Afterwards, the crowd joined to boost Cruzeiro to a positive end, as William pulled off another magic trick at the final point.