Zenit vs Dinamo Makhachkala

Dinamo Makhachkala stunned the hosts inside 16 minutes when Angolan forward Miro slotted home from close range after a low cross from Algerian midfielder Mehdi Azzi, who had been introduced at half-time in a mass change of personnel.

The visitors, who made seven substitutions across the match — including four at the interval — remained compact and disciplined throughout the first half, restricting Zenit to few clear-cut opportunities. The Russian champions struggled to break down a deep-lying Dinamo block, with head coach Sergei Semak later acknowledging his side's lack of movement in the final third before the break.

Zenit introduced Igor Diveev, Felipe Augusto and others at half-time, pushing for an equaliser. Vanja Drkušić was booked for a late challenge in the 84th minute as frustration grew. But in the 90th minute, Zenit were awarded a penalty — and Mostovoy stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way, salvaging a draw.

Dinamo's compact defensive shape in the first half — something striker Gamid Agalarov highlighted afterwards — frustrated Zenit completely. "We played compactly, didn't give Zenit much space, so there were no free zones in midfield that they like," Agalarov told Match TV. The visitors' inability to see out the final minutes, conceding a spot-kick in stoppage time, cost them a deserved win.

• Miro (Dinamo Makhachkala) — The Angolan striker scored his second goal against Zenit in two pre-season meetings (he also netted in the 2-0 defeat on 1 July). Cool finish from Azzi's cross in the 16th minute.
• Andrey Mostovoy (Zenit) — Kept his nerve from the penalty spot in the 90th minute to rescue a draw. Zenit's most experienced attacking option in a heavily rotated line-up.
• Gamid Agalarov (Dinamo Makhachkala) — Led the press effectively and disrupted Zenit's build-up play. "This match we can put down as a positive," he said post-match to Match TV.

Dinamo took the lead with a well-worked move from one of their seven substitutes — a testament to their squad depth in pre-season. Zenit's four substitutions to Dinamo's seven reflects Semak's approach of giving extended minutes to his first-choice XI, while Dinamo used the fixture to rotate heavily. The 84th-minute yellow card for Drkušić was the only booking, suggesting a clean but increasingly urgent performance from the hosts as the clock ticked down.

This was Zenit's final pre-season outing before the OLIMPBET Russian Super Cup against Spartak Moscow on 18 July in Nizhny Novgorod (19:30 MSK). Semak used the match to give minutes to new signing Felipe Augusto and Igor Diveev, both of whom he confirmed are still building match fitness. "They need more time to get into form," Semak told Match TV.

Dinamo Makhachkala continue their preparations for the 2026/27 RPL season, which begins with an away fixture at Fakel Voronezh. The side finished 14th in 2025/26, surviving via the relegation play-offs.

A competitive pre-season workout that served both sides' purposes. Dinamo's disciplined defensive display and early goal suggest they will be harder to beat in the upcoming RPL campaign. Zenit's late rescue masked a performance that lacked sharpness — something Semak will want addressed before the Super Cup on 18 July.