FC Zenit (
Goals: Garay, 11 (1:0), Witsel, 55 (2:0), Danny, 62 (3:0), Smolnikov, 68 (Hulk, 4:0).
FC Zenit (
FC Krasnodar: Dykan (Sinitsyn, 9), Petrov, Martynovich (Burmistrov, 45), Granqvist, Sigurðsson, Gazinskiy, Pereyra, Mamayev (Adzhindzhal, 70), Joãozinho, Wánderson, Ari.
Yellow cards: Danny, 81 (cheating) – Mamayev, 42 (foul play).
Referees: Vilkov (Nizhny Novgorod), Kobzev (
6 December.
FC Krasnodar boss Oleg Kononov had only 12 outfield players at his disposal for a fixture in
The fact that there was not much in this match for the Bulls to depend on became apparent in the very beginning. One the 3rd minute two episodes occurred at the same time that clearly defined the referee’s priorities. The shot by FC Zenits’ Rondón in the away penalty area was blocked by Granqvist, the former took a fall and already in lying position handled the ball with his arm helping it bounce to available Danny. Fortunately, Dykan saved his team parrying the shot of a Portuguese player with his leg. Immediately the counterattack of the Bulls was launched, and Ari was ready to jump out for a rendezvous with Lodygin but he was not allowed to, as the referee assistant Kobzev observed the nonexistent offside position by the Krasnodar Brazilian.
Soon one more trouble befell the
The
Did FC Zenit actually need the assistance of referees when their players already looked fresher than those of the away team and confidently dominated the game? A rhetorical question it is. Anyways, the dangerous episodes kept arising next to Sinitsyn’s goal now. On the 18th minute the keeper made a beautiful dive and reached the ball sent from a header by Lombaerts directly into the top corner; on the 24th minute he was assisted by the crossbar that took up the shot by Rondón, and on the 35th minute the No. 88 of FC Krasnodar took a firm grip on the ball after an aimed shot by Danny.
After such a violent half an hour of the game the squad from the banks of
Vilkov added 3 minutes of the injury time to the first half, and these were the minutes when the away team just barely missed scoring an equalizer. At first Ari received a penetrating pass from Wánderson and managed to make a shot from the corner of the goal area from under Garay; Lodygin saved his team blocking the ball with his leg. Then immediately Joãozinho by miracle missed an offside position and the signal of the referee flag coming one-on-one with the keeper, but the ball after his shot merely brushed the first goalpost from the outside.
The second half was started by the
This burst of activity of the away team was returned by FC Zenit supporters with one of their own: something banged a few times in the Virage fan sector and FC Krasnodar’s penalty area got obscured with the clouds of thick smoke. Vilkov the ref did not stop the game for some reason, and when the smoke lifted the away team was starting from the centre of the pitch for the second time. No one in the stands understood what had actually happened in this scoring episode as it could not be seen. Just the replay from the particular cameras provides a fuzzy picture of what had happened. Smolnikov made a low cross into the box from the right, Sinitsyn got confused in this smoke where friend and foe were and beat off the ball to Axel Witsel who kept his wits about him and made a precise shot on the run.
This conceded goal broke the Bulls for good as they lost both their strength and will to keep fighting; as a result the Pitertsy started to play the master to their utmost at the opposite half of the pitch. Soon they scored a third goal, and not without referees’ assistance at that. Rondón received the ball on the 6-yard line in an offside position which the same assistant ref Kobzev was unwilling to observe this time. Even though the striker’s shot was blocked by Granqvist, the rebound went to Danny who hammered the ball under the crossbar of Sinitsyn’s domain. The third goal of the home team was followed by the fourth one, fully legal this time. Hulk saw Igor Smolnikov to the goal with a well-timed pass and the latter cut the ball skillfully over his former clubmate Sinitsyn.
After that the teams in general merely played to mach to its end, although both of them would not cease trying to alter the digits on the scoreboard. On the 72nd minute Ari made a header after a cross from the corner of the pitch and missed. 9 minutes later Danny burst into a rendezvous with Sinitsyn and preferred diving in the box to taking a shot on goal, so instead of a double he received a yellow card for cheating. There was also a canceled goal that was scored by FC Zenit from an offside position, as when the score reached 4:0 the refereeing became exaggeratedly impartial.
As a result, the Bulls lost in