If we take the match as a whole, Spartak can put it down as an asset. In the first half, the teams played on equal terms, and after the break, the red-whites had a big advantage, especially after Erakovic was sent off. Zenit had a very tough time at the end, so the Petersburgers gained a point, and did not lose two.

The main reason for the lack of goals and dangerous moments from Zenit is the weak play of most of the midfielders, who were unable to take control of the middle of the field to create pressure on the opponents. Yes, Wendel is back, but his physical condition leaves much to be desired. He needs to get into shape to bring back the Wendel we are used to.

Volkov is now the weak link of the St. Petersburg team. He does not justify the advances given to him. Sergei is unreliable in defense and does not create anything in attack. Semak’s team also lacked Maxim Glushenkov in this match. Without him, Cassierra looked inexpressive.

Latyshonok is the best player of the match and the entire championship. He made a decisive contribution to the fact that Zenit conceded only one goal in six rounds. Objectively speaking, he should play for the national team. Safonov, who does not play for PSG, will definitely not be a competitor for Evgeny without game practice.

Spartak is greatly helped by its bench, which is stronger than Zenit’s. This allows Stankovic to rotate the lineup and change players during the match without compromising the quality of football. Thanks to their superiority in this area, the Red-Whites looked better and should have won.

The substitution of Martins in the first half was completely justified. The midfielder played very harshly, beyond the limits of what was permitted, he could easily have been sent to the under-stands area if Meshkov had been less favorable to him. Stankovic, of course, over-insured somewhere, but the substitution for Zobnin allowed him not to end up in the minority.

There is currently a high density in the upper half of the MIR RPL standings. Spartak and Zenit will fight for the championship if the Red-Whites continue to play like this. Lokomotiv and Moscow Dynamo may also join the fight for gold, and CSKA and Krasnodar are not far behind. The competition is higher than last season, and this benefits the championship’s entertainment.

Watch live broadcasts of MIR RPL matches on the Match TV channel and the holding’s thematic channels, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.