After the Russian Premier League clash between Spartak Moscow and Zenith St. Petersburg, the reigning champions took a 3:1 victory, and Sergei Semak, the Zenith coach, highlighted the performance of defender Mario Fernandez. Semak expressed satisfaction with Fernandez’s showing during the match, noting that the player had periods when he could contribute to the attack a bit more often. His comments were shared by socialbites.ca.
The veteran of the Russian national team has shown progress, and the coach believes Fernandez can push his attacking involvement a notch further as he regains form and match tempo. Fernandez has faced recent minutes where fatigue limited his forward runs, but Semak is optimistic that with consistent playing time, roughly 60 to 70 minutes per outing, the defender will reach peak condition and step forward more frequently in offensive moments.
Semak stressed that once Fernandez is fully up to speed, his forward runs will become a more regular feature of Zenith’s build-up and transitions. The coach’s assessment points to Fernandez’s potential to be a more influential attacker as he continues to acclimate to the pace and intensity of RPL matches.
In the match, Zenith secured the win with a 3:1 scoreline against Spartak. Brazilian midfielder Wendel delivered a standout performance by scoring twice, while Colombian forward Mateo Cassierra added another finish to extend Zenith’s lead. Alexander Sobolev also contributed from the penalty spot for Spartak, but the day belonged to the visitors overall.
Earlier remarks from Spartak forward Quincy Promes referred to perceived issues with the performance on the field in the same encounter, underscoring a competitive mood in the league as both teams pushed to maximize their positions in the standings.