Zenit Cruises Past Struggling Sochi Behind Two Penalty Kicks

SOCHI, Russia — The afternoon sun filtered through the open roof of Fisht Olympic Stadium, but there was no warmth to be found for FC Sochi. Zenit St. Petersburg dismantled their hosts 3-0 on Sunday, a clinical display that underscored the yawning chasm between a team fighting relegation and one eyeing European competition.

The visitors needed just 12 minutes to assert their superiority. Nuraly Alip, the Kazakhstani defender who has become an unlikely scoring threat this season, rose unmarked at the far post to nod home Zenit's opener. It was a goal born of poor organization from Sochi's backline, a theme that would persist throughout the afternoon.

What followed was 42 minutes of controlled possession from the league's fourth-placed side, content to probe without urgency against opponents who entered the match with just one victory in eleven league fixtures. Sochi, despite playing at home, seemed resigned to their fate, their defensive shape collapsing inward like a sandcastle at high tide.

The second half brought little improvement for the hosts, and nine minutes after the restart, Zenit doubled their advantage from the penalty spot. Gustavo Mantuan stepped up with the composure of a player who has seen this movie before, slotting past the goalkeeper with minimal fuss. The penalty award itself came after a clumsy challenge in the box—desperation masquerading as defending.

For Sochi manager and his struggling squad, the afternoon represented a continuation of their miserable campaign. Their solitary bright spot remains that improbable 2-1 victory over Nizhny Novgorod two weeks ago, a result that now feels like a mirage in the desert of their season. The home side mustered little in attack, their forward line starved of service and ideas. Anton Zinkovskiy, who scored in their previous league defeat to CSKA Moscow, was marked into irrelevance.

Zenit, meanwhile, played with the ease of a team that knows its quality. Coming off a frustrating 1-1 draw at Akron last weekend, Sergei Semak's side needed precisely this sort of performance—efficient, professional, and devoid of drama. The victory moves them to 20 points from 11 matches, keeping pace with the league leaders while maintaining games in hand.

The final dagger came in the 86th minute, another penalty converted by Andrey Mostovoy. By then, the contest had long since been decided, the remaining spectators more interested in beating the traffic than the action on the pitch. Two penalties in a single match typically spark debate about officiating, but in this instance, both calls appeared straightforward—Sochi's defenders simply overwhelmed by superior technical quality.

The contrast in recent form tells much of the story. Zenit arrived in Sochi having won four of their previous five matches, including an impressive 5-2 dismantling of FC Orenburg that featured four goals from Maksim Glushenkov. Though the prolific striker didn't find the net today, his presence alone warped Sochi's defensive shape, creating space for others to exploit.

Sochi's trajectory points in the opposite direction. Anchored in 16th place with just five points, they sit perilously close to the relegation zone. Their recent form reads like a horror novel: eight losses, two draws, and that single victory that now seems a lifetime ago. The 0-0 draw at Dinamo Makhachkala in late September offered a glimmer of defensive solidity, but today's capitulation suggests that was an aberration rather than a foundation.

As the final whistle sounded, the implications were clear. Zenit continues their march toward European qualification, their blend of veteran savvy and tactical discipline serving them well. For Sochi, the mathematics grow increasingly grim with each passing weekend. With twenty-seven matches remaining, time exists for a turnaround, but performances like Sunday's suggest the will to fight has already begun to flicker.

The Olympic cauldron that once burned so brightly during the 2014 Winter Games now bears witness to a team extinguishing itself, one forgettable performance at a time.