The youth team have beaten Zenit

Youth football returned after a five-month break - Lokomotiv and Zenit opened a new championship in St. Petersburg. During offseason our has seen some changes to the squad. Leaders of last season moved to Kazanka, and players from the bench are supposed to take over their places and become the leaders of the team.

The first half was almost perfect for Lokomotiv. Kasyanenko had nothing to do for most of the time and only got involved when defenders passed the ball to him.

Zenit fought back and conceded only one goal due to luck and brilliant game of Odoevskiy. In the tenth minute, Babkin shot went a few centimetres wide from the post, and four minutes later, Turishchev could not convert his chance after a great pass from the right.

In the middle of the half, the referee could have given a penalty to Lokomotiv. Ushakhin was evidently brought down in the penalty area, as he was close to finish a cross from the wing. Soon, Turishchev missed another excellent chance. After a great cross from the right wing, his header went wide.

If Lokomotiv would have left for the break without a goal, it would have been unfair. In the stoppage time, Gritsak was fouled in the penalty area, and Borisenko confidently converted the penalty.

In the second half, Lokomotiv continued to waste chances, but this time Zenit goalkeeper was the hero. If it was not for Odoevskiy, the hosts could have conceded four or five goals.

In the 51st minute, Turischev went one-on-one with the keeper and tried to hit the ball into the far corner, but Odoevskiy managed to pull out a great save with his leg. Soon after Turischev's cross, Zenit defender almost put the ball into his own net, but the goalkeeper miraculously reacted to the shot from several meters.

Turishchev was soon replaced by Pershin, who also could not beat the goalkeeper for a very long time. On the 59th minute, the goalkeeper saved a shot at the near corner and on the 76th minute he pulled the ball out from under the crossbar when Petrov tried to curl the ball in the far corner from ten meters.

Lokomotiv scored their goal in the 77th minute. Pershin went one-on-one and put the ball past Odoevskiy. The goalkeeper managed to touch the ball, but his touch did not stop it from going towards the goal. It seemed that the ball went past the goal line before Odoevskiy kicked it away. As there are no replays in the youth league, the referees could not check it, so they did not count the goal.

And yet, in the 85th minute, Pershin finally scored - after a rebound Matvey picked up the ball in the penalty area and sent it into the near corner. Already in stoppage time Lokomotiv was down to ten men. Baraboshkin got a second yellow card for a foul in midfield.

Russian Youth League. Gameweek 1

Zenit (youth) - Lokomotiv (youth) - 0:2 (0:1)
Goals: Borisenko, 45 (pen) (0:1). Pershin, 85 (0:2)

Zenit (youth): Odoevskiy, Khotulev, Sandrachuk, Varichev, Bychkov (Vorobjov, 65), Knyazev, Mikhailov (Zigangirov, 81), Kim, Nogtev (Kuznetsov, 46), Bugorskiy (Tereshchuk, 46), Fateev (Shchetinin, 46)
Lokomotiv (youth): Kasyanenko, Morozov, Ushakhin, Kazarinov, Babkin (Karpukas, 88), Borisenko (Dronov, 82), Shmakov, Petrov, Gritsak (Baraboshkin, 68), Matveev (Kasimov, 84), Turishchev (Pershin, 56)
Bookings: Kim, 12. Knyazev, 47. Borisenko, 72. Baraboshkin, 73. Vorobjov, 80. Petrov, 96
Sending off: Baraboshkin, 90
Referee: Filipp Filimonov (Kaliningrad)
September 11, 2020. St. Petersburg, Smena Stadium.