Zenit defeats Red Star 3-1 in friendly in St. Petersburg

Zenit Saint‑Petersburg beat Serbian club Red Star Belgrade 3–1 in a preseason friendly in St. Petersburg. Zenit’s goals came from Aleksandr Sobolev (penalty, 20′), Roman Vega (30‑meter strike, 61′) and Felipe Augusto (73′). Red Star’s lone score was an effort by Mohamed Abu Fani (81′).

Red Star coach Dejan Stanković said the defeat was caused by “technical things” – positioning, marking and body posture – that could have been avoided. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s physical, tactical and technical work, but stressed the need to improve speed, decisive finishing and defensive depth before the season and the upcoming Champions League qualifiers. Defender Nair Tiknizjan noted personal happiness playing in his birthplace of St. Petersburg and urged the squad to address the shortcomings ahead of the league opener against Mačva and the European qualifying rounds.