“Spartak” stumbled, so “Zenith” is unlikely to miss the championship” – Kobelev

Former Dynamo Moscow coach Andrey Kobelev, who previously played for Zenit, told Euro-Futbol.Ru that the defeat of Zenit in the match of the 22nd round of the WORLD RPL with Lokomotiv is unlikely to be able to change the balance of power in fight for the championship.

— What are your expectations from the match? Have a favorite?

– You know, I usually don’t give pre-match comments, but this is a special case, because Dzyuba will play again in St. Petersburg, this time as a Lokomotiv football player. Firstly, Zenit has a better squad. Secondly, the defenders of Zenit know Dziuba well, so it will be harder for him than usual, although few defenders in the goalkeeper area today can handle him. If Artem’s partners make good riding passes, then it will be difficult for the Petrograders’ defense. As far as I understand, everything is in order at Zenit now, so we are waiting for a good game.

– Yes, all the protection of “Zenith” is in place, but is everything so good with the goalkeepers?

– There is Kerzhakov, he took part in almost all the games of the championship. Nine rounds before the end of the championship, the goalkeeper issue at Zenit is not worth it. Probably, even if the coaching staff does not like something, there will be no sudden movements this season. Mikhail speaks confidently enough, this is not a problem.

– Can the defeat of Zenit today somehow change the balance of power in the fight for the championship?

– Hardly. They have a great chance of winning the title, especially since Spartak stumbled, and Rostov plays on the road, so each victory only gives confidence to the Semak team.

– Almost everyone is confident in the championship of “Zenith”. There is no feeling that you can give practice to young players?

– And where are the young players in Zenit? Young people are those who are under 20 years old. First of all, the club still needs to secure the championship for itself, and only then give the players who got little time on the field to prove themselves in business. Plus, now there are rumors that foreigners can leave the team, so the young players will probably get their chance soon.

Zenit is leading in the WORLD RPL with 51 points, Lokomotiv is 11th with 25 points.

Watch the meeting between Lokomotiv and Zenit on April 9 live on the Match TV channel, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites. The broadcast starts at 19:15 (Moscow time), the starting whistle will sound at 20:00 (Moscow time).

Locomotive – Zenit. WORLD Russian Premier League. Tour 22