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Author: Jonathan Turner

Zenit St Petersburg kick-started preparations for the new season last week when the players and staff returned from the off-season break. There are no new faces yet and only one departure confirmed, so the fans are eagerly waiting for the next months.

Apart from those absent for international duty, a full complement of players joined head coach Sergei Semak’s first training session in St Petersburg, before the squad headed to Austria on June 18 for the first Gazprom Training Camp and some friendly games.

With the new season just a few weeks away – Zenit’s first official match of the 2019/20 season is against Lokomotiv in the Russian Super Cup on July 8. How are the defending champions shaping up ahead of the new campaign?

Zenit ended a four-year wait to win the Russian Premier League title last season and they did so in style, leading runners-up Lokomotiv by eight points after winning 20 of 30 matches.

Given their dominance last season and the wealth of playing talent Semak has at his disposal, Zenit are the odds-on favorites to successfully defend the league title.

The squad has a wonderful blend of youth and experience across the pitch. In goal, Zenit have a solid pair of hands in Andrey Lunev, who at 27-years-old is just entering his prime years as a goalkeeper.

All across the defensive backline, Zenit possess a wealth of experience, led by 35-year-old former Chelsea star Branislav Ivanovic, who is joined in defense by Ukrainian Yaroslav Rakytskyi, 29, and 23-year-old Argentine Emanuel Mammana. However, they will need to find a replacement for center-back Luis Neto, who is leaving the club after 6 and a half seasons. Neto is likely to be fancying a return to his homeland, where he will be joining Sporting CP backline.

At full-back, Zenit have 24-year-old Elmir Nabiullin on the left flank and 30-year-old Igor Smolnikov on the right – another example of the team’s mix of youth and experience.

In central midfield, Zenit looks to have done a good job in replacing Leandro Paredes – who moved to Paris Saint-Germain in January for €40m – with 25-year-old Colombian Wilmar Barrios. The footballer has recently helped his national team defeat Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the Copa America.

Barrios is joined in the center of the field by the likes of 26-year-old Russia internationals Daler Kuzyaev and Magomed Ozdoev. Zenit still counts with Argentine Matías Kranevitter – all 26 – as well as Aleksandr Erokhin, 29.

In the attacking positions, Zenit possess two of the most dangerous wingers in Russian football, with 23-year-old Argentine Sebastian Driussi – scorer of 13 goals last season – on the left side, and compatriot Emiliano Rigoni, 26, down the right.

Iran international striker Sardar Azmoun, who is just 24, has slotted in well to the Zenit side since moving from Rubin Kazan in February, while 30-year-old Artem Dzyuba is sure to bring his typical presence up front.

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One of the most outstanding signings last season, but who surely didn’t live up to the hype, was former Juventus captain Claudio Marchisio. Although he was 32 years old, coming on a free transfer it seemed like it was a great deal for the Russian team, but the Italian has unfortunately struggled with injuries and has only made 15 appearances in total – 9 in the Russian Premier League. He scored 2 goals though and if he gets in shape again, he can still be a key addition for the next season.

Zenit’s task now is to not only live up to their pre-season favorite tag but to become the dominant force of the Russian Premier League – and make themselves top pick in the odds every pre-season, the way the New England Patriots are routinely the NFL Super Bowl favorites, or the All Blacks are always the Rugby World Cup favorites.

Their disappointing effort in Europe last season – having been eliminated from the Europa League in the Round of 16 by a Villarreal side who were fighting relegation in Spain – can certainly be improved upon this campaign. Additionally, as league champions, Zenit have qualified directly for the UEFA Champions’ League group stages, and with a kind draw they certainly have the chance to qualify for the knockout stages.

However, the focus should be firmly on establishing themselves as the leading club in Russia, and with the squad they currently have – and a talented and popular manager at the helm – it will likely have to take something special from Zenit’s rivals to stop them winning successive league titles.

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Manuel Veth –

Zenit v Olympique Lyon – November, 27 – Gazprom Arena, St. Petersburg, Russia

Zenit needed a win to leapfrog opponents Olympique Lyon and also to keep up the pressure on Group G leaders RB Leipzig. Not surprising, Zenit tried to take control of the match and produced the first chances thanks to excellent link-up play between Artem Dzyuba and Sardar Azmoun. In the 34th minute, Azmoun appeared to have scored, the striker had Anthony Lopes beat, but the ball rolled against the post and out. Finally, just before halftime, Dzyuba scored. The Russian national team striker was just given only a few inches of space following a corner and headed the ball past Lopes.

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One goal down Lyon were now the team under pressure and, as a result, pressed further up the pitch. The first 15 minutes of the second half, Zenit had almost no breathing room as the French pumped one cross after another into the box. Lyon’s strategy was easy to dissect, the French simply tried to pick out big striker Moussa Dembélé up-front. Instead, Zenit managed to hit Lyon on the break in the 84th minute. Aleksandr Erokhin crossed the ball to the centre where Yuri Zhirkov laid the ball off to Magomed Ozdoev, whose shot from 18-yards beat Lopes to make it 2-0. It was the final note to a game in which Lyon lacked the creativity to break down a very disciplined Russian side.

Zenit v Olympique Lyon – Three Stars

Zenit vs Olympique Lyon – Zenit St. Petersburg’s Russian forward Artem Dzyuba celebrates with Zenit St. Petersburg’s Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League group G football match between Zenit and Lyon at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg on November 27, 2019. (Photo by Olga MALTSEVA / AFP)

Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Artem Dzyuba not only scored what turned out the game-winner, but the Russian striker also put in a strong shift in the second half. Without receiving many balls, it was not an easy task for the Russian forward. But Dzyuba, although he had not many moments in the second half, was very important in Zenit’s disciplined defensive play. Always available as an outlet and important in drawing defenders, Dzyuba is a key player in Zenit’s game.

Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Yaroslav Rakitskiy was front in centre in Zenit’s defensive battle in the second half. The Ukrainian centre-back was one big reason why Lyon were forced to play over either wing. Inside the box, Lyon striker Dembélé had almost no room to develop dangerous attacking moments. A job well done by the 30-year-0ld.

Moussa Dembélé (Olympique Lyon)

Moussa Dembélé had a frustrating evening in St. Petersburg. The highly sought after striker struggled to get much out of the countless crosses the French pumped into the Russian penalty box. Isolated and left to his own devices, Dembélé was a symbol of Lyon’s lack of creativity in the second half.

GOALS: 1-0 (Dzyuba 42’) 2-0 (Ozdoev, 84’)

A big win for Zenit. With the three points, Zenit have leapfrogged Lyon into second place. The result also puts the pressure on Leipzig, who will face Benfica later today at home.

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Lyon, in the meantime, will now need a win against Leipzig on the final matchday to advance. For Lyon, the best case scenario at this point is for Leipzig to beat Benfica today and to qualify for the round of 16. It would likely mean that the Germans would rotate their squad for the final game. But with the way Group G is panning out, everything is possible at this stage.

Dembows and samples to download torrent. Zenit v Olympique Lyon – Line-ups

Zenit St. Petersburg:

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Formation: 4-4-2

Kerzhakov – Douglas Santos, Rakitskiy, Ivanovic, Karavaev – Driussi (Zhirkov, 81′), Ozdoev, Barrios, Kuzyaev (Sutormin, 91′) – Dzyuba, Azmoun (Erokhin, 84′)

Olympique Lyon:

Formation: 4-1-4-1

Lopes – Marcal (Koné, 58′), Andersen (Gouiri, 83′), Marcelo, Dubois – Denayer – Cornet (Cherki, 75′), Reine-Adelaide, B. Traoré – M. Dembélé

Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and among others, contributes to Forbes.com and Pro Soccer USA. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently splits his time between Victoria, BC, and Munich, Germany. Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.

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