“Zenit didn’t have the best training.” Bubnov about the results of the match with Neftchi

It was a typical training match, the main goal of which was not to get injured. Unfortunately, damage could not be avoided – Mantuana had to be replaced in the first half, Rodrigao collided with his opponent’s head.

What problems did Semak solve in this game? First of all, maintaining game tone. He gave practice to both the players and the players on the bench, as well as the youth. But I don’t think that the Zenit coaching staff can be satisfied with the result, or even the quality of the game. Few people are happy with matches in which they lose.

I can’t say that we underestimated the opponent, because the teams had already played before the start of the season, the capabilities of the Baku team were known. Moreover, it is an international meeting. However, the game was played at an average pace, Zenit did not give its all, did not put pressure as best it could. In general, the match was uninteresting; the fans were unlikely to be interested in watching it. If we leave aside the mistake of the young defender at the end, when Vasyutin helped out, there were no chances. Neftchi’s two goals are Mirzov’s exceptional individual skill. No combinations – received a long pass, entered the penalty area, dribbling, beat the defender, scored.

Zenit also had nothing – the goal was the result of an opponent’s mistake. We can say that Do Queiroz simply “had a good time” here, to use football slang. There was no one to single out on the field – the same Mirzov scored two goals, but did not remind of himself anymore.

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Zenit’s lineup was not bad, maybe they controlled the ball a little more, but what’s the point if they didn’t create any chances? In addition, the opponent is not in the best shape – they lost three matches on their home field before. As a result, Semak’s team simply trained on the eve of the next RPL round, but the training was not the best.

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