Malcom magic sets up Kuzyaev winner as Zenit head to Russian Cup final

Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 Spartak Moscow
Sunday 19 July, Russian Cup semi-final, Gazprom Arena

Goals: Zenit - Dzyuba (pen 24’), Kuzyaev (45+3’); Spartak - Sobolev (45+1’)

Zenit St. Petersburg top goalscorer Artem Dzyuba netted his 20th club goal of the season from the penalty spot before Aleksandr Sobolev’s headed equaliser. On the stroke of half time, Daler Kuzyaev slid in the winner after Malcom’s brilliant run and pass.

Halfway through the first half Sardar Azmoun was brought down in the box, leaving strike partner Dzyuba to slide a calm penalty into the bottom left corner. 

Spartak thought they had equalised when Samuel Gigot side-footed home Sobolev’s header back, only to see VAR rule it out. They didn’t have to wait long though, as Sobolev powered a header in off the crossbar.

In first-half stoppage time, Zenit snatched back the lead thanks to a wonderful run from Malcom that beat two defenders, and ended with a simple cross to Kuzyaev to slide in Zenit’s second.

Zenit St. Petersburg will take on FC Khimki in the Russian Cup Final next Saturday 25 July in Ekaterinburg, after visiting FC Rostov on the last RPL matchday on Wednesday 22 July. Spartak Moscow travel to Rubin Kazan on the same day.

Zenit St. Petersburg: Kerzhakov, Karavaev (Osorio 77’), Ivanovic, Rakitskiy, Santos (Ozdoev 62’), Malcom, Kuzyaev (Sutormin 90’), Barrios, Zhirkov, Azmoun (Driussi 90’), Dzyuba

Spartak Moscow: Maksimenko, Ayrton, Gaponov (Rasskazov 53’), Gigot, Dzhikia, Maslov, Kral, Umyarov (Til 70’), Bakaev, Sobolev, Larsson (Mirzov 87’)