Zenit vs Dinamo Makhachkala

Zenit needed just 167 seconds to open the scoring. Pedro danced past Abdulpasha Dzhabrailov on the left and pulled the ball back for Wendel, who arrived unchecked from midfield to slot past Nikita Karabashev. Dinamo's Serder Serderov was unable to close down the Brazilian in time.

Dinamo Makhachkala grew into the half. Houssem Mrezig forced a sharp save from Evgeniy Latyshonok with a header, and Daiya Meshchid drilled wide from inside the box. A water break midway through the first half cooled the tempo, and the score remained 1-0 at the interval.

Zenit head coach Sergei Semak made 11 substitutions at the break, replacing the entire outfield and goalkeeper. The wholesale changes — a hallmark of pre-season run-outs — disrupted Zenit's rhythm, and the second half lacked the early urgency of the first.

Dinamo Makhachkala goalkeeper Timur Magomedov denied Andrey Kasadzhikov with a goal-line clearance after a rapid counter-attack. Aleksandr Erokhin struck the outside of the post from a free-kick, and Amir Musaev curled a shot just wide after a cutback from Kasadzhikov.

With five minutes left, substitute Dmitriy Shumikhin was brought down in the box by Radzhab Magomedov, and referee Nikita Novikov pointed to the spot. Gustavo Mantuan stepped up and sent Magomedov the wrong way, burying the penalty into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 in the 86th minute.

Dinamo almost pulled one back immediately when Soslan Kagermazov hit the crossbar from a set-piece, but Bogdan Moskvichev — one of several second-half Zenit debutants — was otherwise untroubled.

Wendel — The Brazilian midfielder scored the opener and looked sharp in his first pre-season outing after returning from a slightly extended break. His intelligent run from deep was the difference in the opening phase.

Pedro — Provided the assist for Wendel's goal with a driving run and composed cutback. The winger was Zenit's most dangerous attacker in the first half.

Gustavo Mantuan — Entered at half-time and scored the clinching penalty. The substitute was involved in several of Zenit's second-half attacks.

Player of the match: Wendel (Zenit)

Zenit's one-sided 5-0 head-to-head record against Dinamo Makhachkala (dating back to 2024) tells a lopsided story, but this was a controlled rather than dominant performance. The 11 half-time substitutions made the second half a disjointed affair — Zenit created fewer clear chances after the break until the penalty rescued some attacking momentum. Dinamo's best moment came when Kagermazov struck the woodwork, a reminder that the gap between the sides is not as wide as the H2H suggests.

Zenit continued their pre-season build-up with a second consecutive friendly win, following a 4-0 victory over Leningradets on 27 June. The Russian champions will face Neftchi FK on 5 July before the 2026-27 Russian Premier League season begins. Dinamo Makhachkala, who secured their RPL status through the relegation play-offs in May, are still searching for their first pre-season result.

A routine pre-season win for Zenit, settled by an early Wendel strike and a late penalty. The 11 changes at half-time limited the flow, but Semak will value the minutes spread across his squad. Dinamo had moments but lacked the cutting edge to trouble the champions.

Zenit's next friendly: vs Neftchi FK, 5 July 2026 Dinamo Makhachkala's next friendly: TBC