Zenit won three important points in the re-start of the Russian league after winning away against Ural 1-0. Sardar Azmoun, Zenit recent recruit, headed the winning goal at the end of the first half and continues to impress along with the other new acquisitions. This is Azmoun’s third goal for his team in as many matches, but the first in the league.

Before the re-start of the league, Sergei Semak talked about the fact that the winter transfer window was a first step towards getting the team he considers necessary to play his type of football. This summer, Semak had to accept that the club management acted passively on the transfer market and instead of letting Semak recruit the players he wanted, he instead had to settle for a whole bunch of loaned players who returned to their clubs. Sometimes it looked good, but the closer the winter came, the clearer it became that Zenit is lacking quality in the starting line and when the transfer window opened in January Semak received at least three of the new transfer targets he needed. And one can safely say that they started paying off immediately, Jaroslav Rakitsky has raised the level of defense, Wilmar Barrios is the midfield type Zenit has missed since Igor Denisov left the club and at the front Sardar Azmoun with three goals on as many matches has already shown his class.

Azmoun became match winner away at Ural after heading into Magomed Ozdojev’s post at the end of the first half and there should have been more goals for Zenit when both Sebastian Driuissi, Artem Dzjuba and Anton Zabolotnij missed clear chances. The match against Ural was clearly the best in 2019 and after the long winter break it is positive to see how Zenit has become better with every match they have played. The away match against Fenerbahce left a lot to be desired, but the turnaround at home in Saint Petersburg the following week was impressive and in spite of this it looked another snap better today against the Ural.

It is a positive pattern and it will be necessary that it will continue in the spring when Zenit has away games against Spartak, Lokomotiv and Krasnodar left to play as well as a double meeting against Villarreal which hopefully will not be the last in this year’s Europa League. With several players back from injuries, the squad looks well balanced and there should be no problem combining games in the league and in Europe in the spring.