The St. Petersburg club, led by goalkeeper Mikhail Kerzhakov, aligned with the squad that clinched the title after a goalless draw against the current leaders Krasnodar in the 15th round of the Russian Premier League. His assessment reflects the atmosphere around a tightly contested title race and is echoed by Sports Express in its coverage.
Kerzhakov pointed out that CSKA presents a more credible threat than other contenders for the championship. He emphasized that no opponent should be dismissed, while asserting that CSKA stands out as the most realistic rival among the gold hopefuls.
The match between Zenit and Krasnodar finished tied at 1-1. Eduard Spertsyan opened the scoring by directing a header past the keeper in the 63rd minute, while Mateo Cassierra equalized for the home side in the 71st minute, finishing a setup from Wilmar Barrios. Following the result, Krasnodar held 32 points in the standings, while Zenit sat in second with 30 points.
In Voronezh, CSKA endured a 1-1 draw with Fakel. The Moscow club collected its 25th point of the season, slipping to fourth place in the table.
Earlier, Semak’s coaching choices in the Zenit–Krasnodar clash drew attention as a possible misstep, becoming a talking point in discussions about the strategy and decisions that shaped the game.