Champions League hunt: Zenit Saint Petersburg

By: j | September 9th, 2008

After going through the top six clubs (Rubin Kazan, Dynamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Amkar Perm’, CSKA Moscow, Samara Kryliya Sovetov) in the Champions League race of the Rosgosstrakh Football Championship, we now turn our attention to the club with the most potential in the league, Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Quite obviously Zenit Saint Petersburg is a victim of its own success. After winning the UEFA Cup and having much of it’s squad as part of the Russian national team, player fatigue has been extraordinary. After returning from the Euro break, Zenit was forced to play ten matches in less than thirty days and of course had to deal with the constant distraction of Andrei Arshavin moving elsewhere. However Zenit is one of the best clubs in the world, as evidenced at how easy they dispensed with Manchester United in the Super Cup and with distractions put to rest (at least temporarily) they can climb up the table in a hurry.

Zenit Saint Petersburg remaining schedule
Sep 13 @ Terek Grozny
Sept 17 @ Juventus (Champions League)
Sep 21 CSKA Moscow
Sep 27 @ Lokomotiv Moscow
Sep 30 Real Madrid (Champions League)
Oct 5 Luch-Energiya Vladivostok
Oct 18 @ Spartak Nalchik
Oct 21 BATE (Champions League)
Oct 26 @ Tom’ Tomsk
Oct 29 Saturn Moscow
Nov 5 @ BATE (Champions League)
Nov 9 @ FK Amkar Perm’
Nov 16 Dynamo Moscow
Nov 22 @ Spartak Moscow
Nov 25 Juventus (Champions League)

For the most part, the Russian Premier League schedule is made for Dick Advocaat’s squad to climb up the table. However, and this is a major point, with their Champions League commitment and involvement in international duties (Russia v Germany Oct 11, Russia v Finland Oct 15) they will once again leave them less than one-hundred per-cent for league play. However the addition of Danni to the midfield of Ukrainian International Anatoly Tymoschuk, Igor Denisov, Viktor Fayzulin and Konstantin Zyryanov makes it one of the most exciting in the sport as well as one that possesses extraordinary depth. The striking group of Andrei Arshavin, Fatih Tekke, Alejandro Domínguez and a healthy Pavel Pogrebnyak continue this theme and without question they can make up the five point deficit and make it into the Champions League.