St. Petersburg Zenit and Moscow Dynamo have announced their starting lineups for the Russian Cup quarterfinal second leg. The decisive match is set for March 13 and will be hosted in St. Petersburg, with kickoff scheduled for 20:15 Moscow time. This game represents a crucial step in the competition, where each side aims to advance to the next stage with a favorable result from the away leg in mind.
Zenit’s starting XI features a blend of experience and youth. Adamov, Fernandez, Erakovic, Nino, Santos, Barrios, Wendel, Claudinho, Mostovoy, Arthur, and Cassierra will take the field for the home side. The lineup prioritizes a balance between creative playmaking and clinical finishing, with players who can unlock tight defenses and convert chances once they appear. The substitutes listed—Vasyutin, Kerzhakov, Alip, Rodrigao, Kovalenko, Erokhin, Akhmetov, Vasiliev, Mantuan, Izidor, Pedro, and Sergeev—provide depth and options should the match demand adjustments in tempo, formation, or personnel during the 90 minutes.
Dynamo counters with a lineup that emphasizes discipline and organization. Leshchuk, Parshivlyuk, Balbuena, Fernandez, Marichal, Laxalt, Fomin, Chavez, Gladyshev, Bitello, and Tyukavin are slated to start for the visitors. The squad is backed by a group of substitutes—Rasulov, Kuptsov, Dasa, Maistorovich, Skopintsev, Smolov, Grulev, Gagnidze, Nazarenko, Kutitsky, Lepsky, and Makarov—ready to enter if tactical needs or injuries dictate fresh legs and different angles of attack. This depth provides Dynamo with options to respond to Zenit’s approach over the full 90 minutes and any extra time that might follow in a tightly contested tie.
Historically, the first leg between these two clubs ended 1-0 in favor of the Muscovites, with Fedor Smolov the author of the lone goal. That result sets the stage for a compelling rematch in St. Petersburg, where Zenit will seek to overturn the one-goal margin and claim a place in the semi-finals on home soil. Dynamo, on the other hand, will look to defend their slim lead and advance to the next round by maintaining composure and capitalizing on counterattacking moments. Both teams understand the tactical nuances involved when facing a direct rival in a knockout format, where any deviation can tilt the balance of a tie that is finely poised.
Beyond the quarterfinals, CSKA has already clinched a spot in the Russian Cup semi-finals by overcoming Rostov with a 3:1 aggregate score. The competition schedule for the next phase includes Spartak hosting Orenburg and Lokomotiv welcoming Baltika, with those matches presenting additional narratives as teams jockey for better paths through the bracket. The cup has a recent history of dramatic turns, and this edition continues that pattern as it advances toward crowning a champion who can sustain momentum across the calendar’s demanding schedule.
As the tournament progresses, the status of the cup changes hands, and the current holder is CSKA. This fact adds an extra layer of prestige and pressure for the teams left in the draw, since defending the trophy heightens each match’s significance. The coaches and players will need to balance ambition with pragmatic travel, recovery, and preparation for the next round, knowing that a strong finish in the Russian Cup can bolster a club’s confidence and momentum heading into the domestic league fixtures that follow.
Analysts outside the club circles will likely weigh the contrasting philosophies on display: Zenit’s emphasis on dynamic, speed-driven attacking sequences and Dynamo’s focus on defensive solidity coupled with precise finishing. The second leg will test which approach best translates to a knockout environment under the bright lights of a full stadium in St. Petersburg, with both sides acutely aware that a single goal can alter the entire trajectory of the tie. Fans will be watching closely to see how the managers balance risk and reward, how substitutes influence the tempo, and which side can seize control early enough to dictate the rhythm of the game and diminish the opponent’s replies.