FC Krasnodar 2-4 (1-2) FC Zenit
Goals: Azmoun, 5 (0-1), Utkin (Petrov), 29 (1-1), Dzyuba, 45+1, penalty kick (1-2), Utkin (Olsson), 50 (2-2), Azmoun, 52 (2-3), Sutormin (Dzyuba), 71 (2-4).
Missed penalty kick: Wanderson, 41 (goalkeeper).
FC Krasnodar: Safonov, Ramírez (Sergeyev, 76), Kaio, Martynovich, Petrov, Gazinsky, Vilhena (Suleymanov, 69), Utkin (Fernandes, 76), Olsson (Cabella, 76), Wanderson, Berg (Onugha, 82).
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg: Lunyov, Santos, Rakitskiy, Ivanović, Karavayev, Kuzyayev (Sutormin, 66), Barrios, Ozdoyev (Zhirkov, 46), Malcom (Rigoni, 82), Azmoun (Driussi, 66), Dzyuba (Yerokhin, 88).
Yellow cards: Petrov, 46, Olsson, 56, Vilhena, 58, Martynovich, 60, Berg, 73 – Barrios, 22, Kuzyayev, 45+3, Driussi, 78.
Referees: Karasev, Mosyakin, Yeleferenko (all Moscow).
5 July 2020. Krasnodar. FC Krasnodar Stadium. Scattered clouds. 31 degrees.
The win in a game tonight would make FC Zenit Saint Petersburg champions ahead of schedule, and the visitors led by Sergei Semak had a better opening than the Bulls. Early on the 5th minute Sardar Azmoun exploited a turnover and shot the ball into the corner of the net from 11 meters.
The Bulls got hold of the initiative and launched a lengthy siege against the opposite goal. It brought them success once the first thirty minutes of the game were over. Sergei Petrov received the ball avoiding an offside and passed it to Daniil Utkin in the middle of the box. The latter then shot the pigskin one-touch leaving no chance for Lunyov to save it. 1-1.
Right up to the end of the first half the black-greens came very close a few times to establish a lead. Wanderson Maciel actually received the best of those chances. Berg caught Santos off-guard as he tried to flick the ball to Lunyov with his chest, and the Zenit keeper did not make it to the ball in time. As a result, the Krasnodar striker was brought down and a penalty kick was ordered. Fortunately for the away team, their goalkeeper was the one to fix the situation, when he parried both the first shot by Wanderson from a penalty spot and his second attempt to finish the rebound.
Later in the time added to the first half Karasev the ref ordered a penalty kick again, against the home team now, on observing the handball inside the box. Artyom Dzyuba flawlessly executed it.
FC Krasnodar went on playing their game and succeeded with the second equalizing goal. On the 50th minute Daniil Utkin recorded a brace for himself with a spectacular bent shot that left the Zenit keeper out of the case. And yet, in the very next attack Azmoun sneaked on a rebound inside the home team’s goal area, and the Blue-White-Sky Blues put themselves ahead 3-2.
FC Krasnodar launched a few more prospective combinations, but a couple of shots taken by Utkin missed their target. Halfway through the second half Aleksei Sutormin used a flick by Dzyuba to make the score final and winning for the Zenit team.