Zenit 1-0 Baltika: Andrade's 3rd-Minute Debut Goal & Full Match Highlights | Russian Cup

On Wednesday, August 5, at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, Zenit secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Baltika in the first round of the RPL Path group stage of the FONBET Russian Cup. In the 3rd minute, Kevin Andrade, who moved to Zenit from Baltika on July 1, headed home a corner delivered by Daniil Kondakov to score his debut goal for his new club against his former teammates. The Colombian defender refrained from celebrating out of respect for the Kaliningrad side. In the first half, Zenit dominated possession with 71% of the ball, registering 9 shots (4 on target) to Baltika's 3. In the 15th minute, goalkeeper Bogdan Moskvichev, making his debut for the first team, produced a fine save to deny Pospelov from a tight angle. In the second half, Baltika's Eduardo Anderson caught Kondakov with an elbow to the face in the 48th minute, forcing the midfielder to leave the pitch in the 54th minute, replaced by Yuri Gorshkov. Baltika pushed forward late on: Moskvichev saved from Petrov in the 89th minute, and in the 90+4th minute, Stefan Kovac hit the far post. Zenit head coach Sergey Semak admitted that his team made a costly defensive error at the end and thanked Moskvichev for his save. Zenit next face Rodina at home on August 9 in the RPL, then travel to Samara on August 19 to face Krylya Sovetov in the Russian Cup.