Tag: Fenerbahce

02/03/2019

Azmoun shines again for Zenit St. Petersburg.

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.

23/02/2019

Sardar Azmoun shows Wolves what they are missing with Europa League heroics

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ reported move to bring Iranian Messi Sardar Azmoun to the Premier League fell through in the January transfer window.

Whatever became of Sardar Azmoun?

According to Sky Sports, Wolves had agreed a deal to sign the Rubin Kazan striker on the final day of the January transfer window, only for the move to fall through at the eleventh hour.

Wolves wanted the option to sign Azmoun permanently in the summer for £11.5 million. Rubin, however, wanted the deal to include an ‘obligation’ for a permanent transfer – regardless of how he gets on in English football.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side backed out as a result. And, just days later, Azmoun moved to Zenit St Petersburg instead for a fee of £10.5 million, according to L’Equipe.

If he was disappointed about missing out on a move to Molineux, he didn’t show it on Thursday. Zenit were a goal down to Fenerbahce in their Europa League round of 32 clash and needed to turn the tie around in front of their own supporters.

Step up the ‘Iranian Messi’.

Azmoun turned on the style on his home debut, inspiring Zenit to a 3-1 win which puts them into the next round with a towering header reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo, let alone Messi. His second, which clinched the game, was clinically dispatched into the bottom corner with 15 minutes to go.

Unsurprisingly, he was nominated for the Europa League Player of the Week award. And his £10.5 million price-tag is already looking like a bargain.

21/02/2019

Sardar Azmoun , the hero of Zenit St. Petersburg.

Sardar Azmoun was the hero of the night as his team Zenit St. Petersburg defeated Turkish side Fenerbahçe 3-1 to qualify for the next round of the UEFA Europa League.

Azmoun started the match , his first start with his new club and It only took him 4 minutes to make an impression when he assisted the first goal after he nicely chested the ball to Ozdeov in the six yard box for the Russian to score the first. That made the aggregate score (1-1)

Azmoun then headed a nice cross by Sebastian Druissi to make it 2-0 for the Russian Champions. Fenerbahçe then silenced the home crowd when Mehemet Topal scored from long range volley with a stunning shot. It was 2-1 and 2-2 on aggregate , advantage Fenerbahçe.

Sardar Azmoun, however scored the winner when he passed to marker on goal and slotted past the hapless Turkish keeper in the 76^th minute.

It was a magnificent night for the Team Melli forward who was substituted out late in the match.

In Another UEFA Europa League match, Dinamo Zagreb defeated Viktoria Plzen 3-0 in the Stadion Maksimir (Zagreb) to qualkify for the next round.

Sadegh Moharrami played 90 minutes for his team Dinamo Zagreb.