Zenit vs Leningradets

Sergei Semak's side dominated from the first whistle. The opening goal arrived after just seven minutes: Brazilian midfielder Pedro won the ball high up the pitch, drove through one-on-one and slotted calmly past the Leningradets goalkeeper.

Zenit doubled their lead midway through the first half through a set piece. Argentinian left-back Roman Vega delivered a corner into the box and striker Aleksandr Sobolev rose highest to head home, making it 2-0.

Semak rang the changes at half-time, making ten substitutions — only winger Andrei Kasadzhikov remained on the pitch. The wholesale changes included the introduction of veteran midfielder Alexander Erokhin, who took the captain's armband.

Erokhin needed only 22 minutes to make his mark. On 67 minutes, Gustavo Mantuan's cross from the flank found Erokhin unmarked, and the 36-year-old directed a header into the net for 3-0. Five minutes later, left-back Yuri Gorshkov delivered another dangerous cross and Erokhin again converted with his head to complete his brace.

Leningradets pushed for a consolation goal in the closing stages but were unable to breach Daniil Odoevskiy's goal.

The half-time reshuffle could have disrupted Zenit's rhythm, but the exact opposite happened. Semak's changes injected fresh energy and the second unit maintained the same intensity. Erokhin's introduction proved decisive — two headers from wide crosses exposed Leningradets' inability to defend set pieces and deliveries into the box, a pattern the first half had already established.

• Alexander Erokhin — Two goals in five minutes (67', 72'), both headers from crosses. The veteran midfielder needed fewer than 25 minutes on the pitch to decide the game. "I always try to find one or two moments and get the maximum out of them," he told the club's official site after the match.
• Pedro — The Brazilian opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a composed finish after winning possession high up the pitch. His pressing set the tone for Zenit's first-half dominance.
• Aleksandr Sobolev — Scored Zenit's second with a well-timed header from Vega's corner, continuing his strong pre-season form.

Player of the match: Alexander Erokhin.

Zenit's 4-0 scoreline reflected a game played almost entirely in the opposition half. The first period was largely one-way traffic: Semak's side held overwhelming possession, created multiple chances and limited Leningradets to almost nothing. The half-time score of 2-0 could have been wider — Kasadzhikov hit the crossbar with a driven left-footed effort, and Musaev forced a save after a solo run. The second half brought fewer clear chances overall but better efficiency: two goals from four shots on target, both from the same player.

This was Zenit's first pre-season friendly of the summer. Semak used the match to spread minutes across a large squad — ten changes at half-time, plus a full debut for new signing Kevin Andrade at centre-back. The Russian internationals (Glushenkov, Diveev, Adamov), plus midfielders Barrios and Wendel, watched from the sidelines and will integrate into the group gradually.

Zenit's next pre-season fixture is against Dynamo Makhachkala on 1 July at the Smena Stadium. Leningradets continue their own pre-season schedule — their next match was not confirmed at time of writing.

A routine pre-season workout for Zenit against a limited opponent. The scoreline and dominance were expected, but Erokhin's sharpness off the bench and Pedro's early intensity are positive signs. The real tests come against stronger opposition — starting with Dynamo Makhachkala on Wednesday.

"I think all our players are in good working tone. The game was good in terms of movement, and in terms of interaction... For the first match it was a good sparring," — Sergei Semak, head coach of Zenit, via the club's official website.

"For us, nothing changes — we continue to score goals. Today was the first control match — it was important for us to win it, for good emotions. Taking into account the training loads and the gradual improvements in the training process, this was a good sparring," — Alexander Erokhin, via the club's official website.