Zenit lost to Lokomotiv Moscow in the match of the 17th round of the RPL with a score of 1:3. The game took place on a snow-covered field in the capital’s Cherkizov. The defeat was largely predetermined by an offensive own goal by Mikhail Kerzhakov, when the goalkeeper of the St. Petersburg club tried to catch a ball parachuted directly from a corner at the near post. For the St. Petersburgers, this is already the 6th defeat of the season.
At the same time, Zenit’s closest pursuers, Krasnodar and Dynamo, won their matches. As a result, Zenit is two points behind the southerners and two points ahead of the capital’s Dynamo.
Ex-Zenit football player Alexander Gorshkov, in a conversation with a RB Sport correspondent, suggested why the St. Petersburgers began to lose so often this season:
“Zenith is vulnerable because Malkom and Kuzyaev left. Perhaps you are already tired of winning and lack motivation. Now Zenit is a controversial favorite of the championship. This can be seen in the standings. Petersburgers are no longer so stable.”
In the next round, Zenit will play with Paris NN in St. Petersburg. This tour will be the last one in the current calendar year before the long winter break. The St. Petersburg team has a chance to leave for the winter as the sole leader if they defeat the Nizhny Novgorod team, and Krasnodar loses at home to the Moscow army team. If Zenit wins and the leader draws, both teams will have 36 points, but the St. Petersburg team will still be first in additional indicators. However, if Zenit does not defeat its opponent, it risks falling to third place altogether: for this, the Moscow Dynamo needs to beat the local Fakel in Voronezh.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
