Expect changes in the game to a greater extent should have come from “Zenith” - firstly, the course for the championship with the support of Gazprom millions was taken last season. Secondly, the advantage of his field untied his hands. Petersburgers went out to play according to the “Dutch” tactical scheme 4-3-3, actively imposed by public opinion and, it seems, is not in doubt with Dick Advocaat. The main financial premiere of the year took place - Anatoly Tymoshchuk came out to play a defensive midfielder. At the 2006 World Cup, according to statistics, the Ukrainian was the leader in the number of touches of the ball on average per match. In the same match, Tymoshchuk, on the contrary, ran away from the ball, actively gesturing which of the partners should enter the game.
Misunderstanding - or failure to fulfill the coaching attitude - took place in the line of attack. The actions of Arshavin and Denisov did not create an “Zenith” advantage in the area of the penalty “Saturn” - both players often retreated, encountering Radimov and Riksen in the positions of projectile carriers. Much more elegantly, to everyone’s surprise, the guests performed a three-forward scheme. Yakubko, Lebedenko and Kirichenko regularly lost the ball after one or two touches, but logically left the right to organize the game to the midfielders. As a result, Malafeev’s goal was threatened, as expected, by the attack of the guests (the first dangerous blow was inflicted by Lebedenko), and Botvinyev’s goal was threatened by the host midfield.
Radimov was more active than others - the ex-captain of the Zenith first hit aiming from afar, and a little later he felt the heaviness of the leg of his former teammate Igonin on his ankle. Zakharov gave a penalty, Riksen struck well, but the newcomer to Saturn Botvinyev was clearly explained that the team was not going to lose the title of “most non-missing”. Tymoshchuk, on the other hand, watched the jump of Shakhtar’s recent partner with undisguised surprise. The response of the Moscow Region team was a statically played attack after a throw-in - Yakubko dropped on Kirichenko, and the former Moscow striker struck his head into the post. The next “standard” - already in the second half - led to a penalty. Skrtel tried to strip Yakubko from the shirt and put the forward on Petrovsky’s lawn, and Andrei Karjaka scored from the “point”.
Both penalties and a couple of dangerous moments that arose after the motion of the fixed ball, said only that in a dynamic game the teams have nothing to show so far. “Zenith” sprayed the attack on the alien half, not reaching a numerical superiority in any zone. At the center forward position, Fatih Tekke was lost. Petersburgers tried to crush through the left flank, where Arshavin and Kim Dong-jin unexpectedly opposed Gogua, but it didn’t burn out there either. Even the removal of the Georgian, which was the result of a disciplinary rather than a game offense, did not help the hosts. By the way, not one of the famous newcomers of Saturn played in their usual position. According to Weiss and Eremenko, Karjaka, who played the role of an “alien” playmaker in the absence of an unprepared player, was not noticed in the aggravation of the game, and Kirichenko also did not bring any benefit as a right-wing insider.
Adaptation issues, as it turned out, are relevant not only for players. Dick Advocaat tried to attract the attention of football players by whistling, but could not - it turned out too quietly. But Cornelius Pot managed to block the noisy background of Petrovsky - after his trill, Riksen raised his eyes and looked closely at his compatriot. Vladimir Weiss also abandoned attempts to actively intervene in the course of the match, relying on the organization of defense, which deprived the Zenit attack of the final blow. However, the relative calm of the rear of Saturn turned into a final read. Arshavin’s pitch found Tekke’s head, and the Turk, who replaced the 61st number with a more realistic 9th (recall that last year he promised to score as much as is written on the back), equalized. In their first match of the Premier League, “Zenith” and “Saturn” were remembered for tactical and game negligence, the absence of scoring chances and the small benefit of the actions of leading players. We dare to hope that the presence of all these problems at the start of the championship implies their solution during the season.
ZENIT - SATURN - 1: 1 (0: 0)
Goals: 0: 1 - Karyaka (53, penalty), 1: 1 - Tekke (90 + 2).
Unfilled penalty: Ricksen (28).
ZENIT: Malafeev, Krizhanats, Kim Don Jin, Anyukov (80, Maximov), Skrtel, Radimov, Riksen (67 Pogrebnyak), Tymoshchuk, Tekke, Arshavin, Denisov.
SATURN: Botvinev, Dyuritsa, Iliasu, Polovinchuk, Igonin, Pershin (Dzhiaukshtas, 90 + 3), Gogua, Karjaka, Lebedenko, Kirichenko (Vukchevich, 50), Yakubko (Nemov, 72).
Warnings: Riksen (25), Kim Don Jin (26), Igonin (29), Arshavin (38), Gogua (38), Lebedenko (45), Krizhanats (77), Tekke (90 + 4).
Removal: Gogua (48, second warning).
March 11th . "Petrovsky." 2 p.m.
Judge : I. Zakharov (Moscow).