Late Lovren header seals win for 10-man Zenit

FC Rostov 0-2 Zenit St. Petersburg
Rostov Arena, Saturday 15 August

Goals: Zenit - Sardar Azmoun (pen 24), Dejan Lovren (87)

Man of the Match: Malcom (Zenit)

Sent off: Zenit - Yaroslav Rakitsky (78)

Last season’s RPL top goalscorer, Sardar Azmoun, got off the mark for this campaign midway through the first period when he bundled in the rebound from his saved penalty. With less than a quarter of an hour to go Yaroslav Rakitsky was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge, but Dejan Lovren’s late header secured the win for the visitors.

FC Rostov are away to Dynamo Moscow next on Wednesday 19 August, while Zenit St. Petersburg host CSKA Moscow on the same day.