Zenit secured a convincing victory over Spartak in the central match of the RPL round, strengthening their lead in the championship.
Zenit St. Petersburg delivered a crushing defeat to Spartak Moscow in the 24th round of the Russian Premier League. The hosts scored four goals with only one in response, demonstrating complete dominance on the field.
Semak's tactical triumph
Zenit controlled the game from the first minutes, using quick attacks down the flanks. Claudinho (2), Wendel, and Sergeev scored the goals. Spartak could only respond with a precise penalty kick from Promes.
We prepared a special plan against Spartak and executed it brilliantly. The team showed the character of champions.
— Сергей Семак, главный тренер Зенита
Abascal's failure
Spartak looked extremely unconvincing in defense, making several rough mistakes. Coach Guillermo Abascal faced criticism after the match for incorrect substitutions in the second half.
This defeat drops the red-and-whites to 5th place in the table, while Zenit has extended their lead over second-placed Lokomotiv to 8 points.
Zenit's next match will be against CSKA, while Spartak will face Rostov.