In the first round of the RPL path of the Russian Cup, the "Zenit" team faced "Akhmat" in Grozny. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
Zenit's head coach Sergey Semak did not take Jerson, Kassierra, and Barrios on this trip. However, he included Vandel in the squad and fielded him in the starting lineup.
Young and promising player Lobov also started the game for "Zenit". This competition provided a favorable opportunity for him to appear in the starting lineup in official matches.
The match protocol was as follows: "Akhmat" – "Zenit" 1:2. Initially, in the 4th minute, Arsen Adamov opened the scoring, and in the 8th minute, Lusiano Gondo increased the lead to 2:0.
In the 82nd minute, Konate scored from a penalty, reducing the deficit. After the first round of the group stage of the Russian Cup, no team will be eliminated from the competition.
Therefore, the coaches had the opportunity to make changes in the starting lineup. In the previous round, "Zenit" played a draw in the championship, but as a team always striving for victory, they aimed for nothing less than a win this time.
"Akhmat," on the other hand, wanted to please their fans after two consecutive defeats at home. At the beginning of the match, a penalty was not awarded in favor of "Akhmat."
In the second minute, Melkadze fell after colliding with Vandel in the opponent's penalty area, but the referee decided to continue the game. "Zenit" took the lead with quick goals.
Lusiano provided a pass from the left flank, and Arsen Adamov scored with a header against his former team. Four minutes later, Aleep made a vertical pass, Sobolev lifted the ball, and Lusiano skillfully lobbed it over the goalkeeper.
In the second half, "Akhmat" launched several dangerous attacks, but the ball could not find its way into the net. In the 80th minute, a "Zenit" defender handled the ball in his penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty with the help of VAR.
Konate executed the penalty accurately. In the additional minutes, "Akhmat" had a few more opportunities, but the score remained unchanged.
As a result, "Zenit" won 2:1 in Grozny. Now "Zenit" will play against "CSKA" at home in the next round, while "Akhmat" will face "Dinamo" Makhachkala away.
