The previous meeting between the two teams in August saw Zenit secure a 2-0 victory at home, and a triumph over Fakel on Monday would have given Zenit a three-point lead at the top of the league table after 27 matches.
The Russian champions grappled with a frustrating two-match losing streak in the Russia Premier Liga (RPL) before today's affair. Despite dominating Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Moscow for most of the game, they were unable to find the net in both contests.
Zenit's last match ended in a 1-1 draw against CSKA at the VEB Arena in Moscow on Thursday 2 May. It was the first leg of the RPL Path final of the Russian Cup.
The first twenty minutes of today’s game saw the visitors exhibit their possession-heavy style of play with crisp and accurate passes from box to box, as the home side attempted to strike first and fast with counterattacks.
Fakel's first attempt at goal arose when Roman Akbashev struck the ball from outside the 18-yard box, but his shot sailed over the woodwork.
After much stagnation, the game took a turn in the 41st minute when club captain Douglas Santos opened the scoring. Claudinho, on the edge of the penalty arc, sent in a flawless chip pass to his compatriot. Santos, with a diving header from inside the six-yard box, firmly placed the ball past Fakel's goalkeeper Aleksandr Belenov, giving Zenit a 1-0 advantage just before the halftime whistle.
It was the Brazilian's seventh goal of his Zenit career and third this season. It was also Claudinho's seventh assist of the 2023/2024 RPL campaign.
Zenit was presented with the chance to double their lead in the 52nd minute after Mateo Cassierra played a through ball for Artur inside Fakel's box. Unmarked by defenders, the Brazilian sent his shot into the side netting.
Zenit attempted multiple shots on target in the second half, but Belenov saved them all. In an effort to rally back, Fakel maintained greater possession than Zenit but was largely unsuccessful in their opponent's final third. The home side made few attempts at goal throughout the entire match, much to the credit of the blue-white-sky blue's backline.
In the 83rd minute, Cassierra received a cross from Dmitriy Vasiljev, which came from the right flank and reached directly inside the Fakel goal area. The Colombian stretched and attempted to place the ball into the far-right corner, but Belenov was there to make the save. Wendel received a pass inside the Fakel penalty area shortly after and fired a shot, but Belenov also blocked his attempt.
In the 88th minute, Cassierra received a long ball from the Zenit defence and passed it to Claudinho. In space, the midfielder sent a fantastic curling shot into the top corner, which he believed had given his team a commanding 2-0 lead. However, minutes later, a VAR check revealed that Wendel was in an offside position during the initial build-up, so the goal was disallowed, and the scoreline remained 1-0.
In the final minute of stoppage time, Fakel was awarded a penalty after a VAR check spotted that the ball had graced the arm of defender Nuraly Alip inside the 18-yard box during a late push by the home side. Referee Aleksey Sukhoy reviewed the incident and granted Fakel a penalty with a chance to level the score. Substitute Evgeniy Markov stepped up to the spot and scored the equaliser.
The draw leaves Zenit with 51 points and three games to play. Krasnodar and Dynamo are both a point behind with the same number of matches to play.
The Russian champion's next game is at the Gazprom Arena on Saturday 11 May, against CSKA in the 28th round of the RPL. It will be the second of three meetings between the two squads this month. Kick-off is set for 7.00pm St. Petersburg time. Tickets are available here.
