Azmoun snaffles winner against old side Rostov to complete Zenit comeback win

FC Rostov 1-2 Zenit St. Petersburg
Wednesday 22 July, Rostov Arena

Goals: Rostov - Zaynutdinov (18’); Zenit - Rigoni (72’), Azmoun (75’)

Man of the match: Sardar Azmoun (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Zenit had to come from behind to beat FC Rostov after late goals from Emiliano Rigoni and Sardar Azmoun snatched all three points. Baktiyor Zaynutdinov had given Rostov the lead before Azmoun drew level with strike partner Artem Dzyuba in the RPL top goalscorers’ race on 17.

Baktiyor Zaynutdinov stood over a free kick about 25 yards out, and lashed it with considerable force. After taking a deflection of Sebastian Driussi on the edge of the defensive wall Vasyutin was wrong-footed and could only palm it into the net.

Eldor Shomurodov could have doubled their lead moments after when his header hit the bar, before Rigoni missed a glorious chance seconds later. The Argentine winger made amends with less than 20 minutes left when he steered home a precise equaliser from 15 yards out into the bottom corner.

Azmoun completed the comeback with 15 minutes to go when he snuck ahead of his marker to tuck in Oleg Shatov’s low right-wing cross.

FC Rostov hung on to a Europa League spot by finishing the 2019/20 RPL season in 5th, while Zenit St. Petersburg had long wrapped up the title. Sergey Semak’s side have the Russian Cup Final against FC Khimki in Ekaterinburg on Saturday 25 July.

FC Rostov: Pesyakov, Bayramyan (Dolgov 61’), Hadzikadunic, Chernov (Vedernikov 87’), Kozlov, Glebov, Logashov, Zaynutdinov (Eremenko 64’), Logashov (Proshlyakov 87’), Saplinov, Shomurodov

Zenit St. Petersburg: Vasyutin, Smolnikov, Prokhin, Mammana (Osorio 46’), Rigoni, Musaev, Shamkin (Azmoun 46’), Sutormin (Dzyuba 46’), Erokhin, Shatov, Driussi (Karavaev 90’)