The blue-white-sky-blues U16s secured qualification for the next stage of the Alkass International Cup after a challenging 4-4 draw against Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting Lisbon were quick to make an impact in the game as they opened their account in the 15th minute, and soon after that doubling their lead in the 20th. Nikita Luzan soon put the blue-white-sky-blues back on track in the 23rd minute with a powerfully dispatched penalty.
In the 40th minute the game was all square as Ilya Kirsh of Zenit rose high to dispatch a bullet header from the deep hit corner. Minutes later, Sporting Lisbon re-took their advantage after a ball through the middle cut open Zenit’s backline and gave Chermitti a tap in at the back post.
Zenit started the second half brightly but again were pegged back in the 58th minute when Fernandes tapped in from point blank range to give the Portugese side some breathing space.
The blue-white-sky-blues soon responded to this in the 61st minute as Ilya Kirsh swung in an inviting ball from the right which free man Sergei Muradian took full advantage of. Zenit continued to work hard and were rewarded for their efforts in the 89th minute when the ball bounced through for Igor Kozlov who fired into the bottom corner of the net.
Securing a draw means the lads now progress further into the tournament, with a tie against PSG now looming on the horizon. Fans around the world can catch the game live on the Alkass website https://www.alkassdigital.net/, with kick off scheduled on the 20th at 16:45 SPB.