FC Krasnodar 2-3 (1-1) FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Goals: Dzyuba, 19 (Rigoni, 0-1), Ignatyev, 25 (1-1), Rakitskiy, 69 (free kick, 1-2), Pereyra, 90+1 (Gazinsky, 2-2), Dzyuba, 90+5 (Noboa, 2-3).
FC Krasnodar: Safonov, Petrov (Stotsky, 90), Spajić, Martynovich, Ramírez, Gazinsky, Pereyra, Utkin (Suleymanov, 61), Claesson, Wanderson, Ignatyev (Skopintsev, 72).
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg: Lunyov, Smolnikov, Ivanović, Rakitskiy, Zhirkov, Barrios, Ozdoyev (Anyukov, 86), Rigoni (Noboa, 87), Driussi (Shatov, 90+4), Azmoun, Dzyuba.
Yellow cards: Pereyra, 68 (foul play), Suleymanov, 85 (unsporting behaviour) – Rigoni, 35 (unsporting behaviour), Smolnikov, 45 (foul play), Rakitskiy, 47 (attack breakdown), Barrios, 71 (attack breakdown), Anyukov, 84 (unsporting behaviour), Azmoun, 90+7 (unsporting behaviour).
Referees: Karasev (Moscow), Mosyakin (Moscow), Gavrilin (Vladimir).
20 April 2019. Krasnodar. FC Krasnodar Stadium. Cloudy. 6 degrees. 33 382 spectators.
The Saturday night clash of the two clubs fighting for the Russian Football Championship medals was brilliant and spectacular with a plethora of scored goals. Both teams were very attack-oriented, hence the spectators that filled the Krasnodar stadium to capacity didn’t feel bored at all, not for a single second.
The attacks that the visitors launched were more dangerous and persistent; consequently the away team scored an opener on the 29th minute. Artyom Dzyuba received the ball from Rigoni and sent it from the end-line into the empty net. The Krasnodar keeper Safonov acted brilliantly tonight, but he could not save on this one. The black-greens scored an equalizing goal six minutes later though. Ramirez made a low cross from the left, a shot by Claesson was blocked by some defender, but Ivan Ignatyev ultimately finished the ball at close range.
Mid through the second half (it was dotted with scoring chances next to the both goals the same way as the first half did) the Saint Petersburg collective took the lead again. A goal was scored after a precise shot by Yaroslav Rakitskiy from a free kick. A marvelous salvo by Mauricio Pereyra in the first minute of the injury time made the score equal again when the ball plunged into the top corner of Lunyov’s domain. And yet, it was Zenit who had the final say in the tonight clash. Artyom Dzyuba brought victory to his team after a corner kick with a header. The Blue-White-Sky Blues won 3-2.