Equilibrium in Saint Petersburg
FC Zenit
Goals: Santos, 80 (own goal, 0-1), Dzyuba, 90+1 (Azmoun, 1-1).
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg: Lunyov, Santos, Ivanović, Rakitskiy, Zhirkov (Kuzyayev, 86), Ozdoyev, Barrios, Sutormin (Malcom, 71), Driussi (Yerokhin, 68), Dzyuba, Azmoun.
FC Krasnodar: Safonov, Petrov (Stotsky, 78), Spajić, Martynovich, Ramírez, Kambolov, Olsson, Vilhena, Namli (Ignatyev, 60), Cabella (Suleymanov, 57), Ari.
Yellow cards: Zhirkov, 2 (foul play), Barrios, 28 (foul play) – Vilhena, 36 (foul play), Cabella, 54 (unsporting behaviour), Ramírez, 61 (foul play), Ari, 89 (unsporting behaviour).
Referees: Eskov (Moscow), Nazarov (Nevinnomyssk), Shalamberidze (Moscow).
3 August 2019.
The away game with FC Zenit in Saint Petersburg became a debut for the French midfielder Rémy Cabella with the black-greens. The rookie Bull replaced Wanderson in the first eleven, since the latter had fallen ill one day before the named match. The visitors had a great territorial advantage early in the first half, but the Lions gradually pushed the game in their favour. Things got very difficult sometimes for the Krasnodar squad, but they defended in a very coherent and selfless way and were not shy to reply with some occasional attacks of their own.
The southern team scored an opener on the 80th minute. FC Zenit defender Douglas Santos tried to interrupt a high cross by Ari and unwillingly sent the ball into the own goal. The Bulls failed to keep the winning score however. The injury time had just begun when Azmoun brought Artyom Dzyuba to a rendezvous with the Krasnodar keeper Safonov (he was subsequently recognized as the man of the match) with a fine pass. The mighty Zenit striker made the score equal again and the game ended in equilibrium.
