Zenit Loses to Fenerbahce in Istanbul Friendly
Russian Premier League side falls 3-1 to Turkish giants
Match report and analysis
Zenit Saint Petersburg fell to a 3-1 defeat against Fenerbahce in a pre-season friendly match played in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The Russian Premier League side took the lead through Malcom in the 16th minute, but the Turkish giants hit back with three goals in the second half to secure the victory.
Enner Valencia equalized for Fenerbahce in the 55th minute, before Dimitrios Pelkas and Serdar Dursun added further goals in the 65th and 75th minutes respectively.
Zenit had a number of chances to get back into the game, but they were unable to find the back of the net again.
The defeat was a disappointing result for Zenit, who are preparing for the start of the new Russian Premier League season.
However, it is important to remember that this was just a pre-season friendly and that Zenit will have plenty of time to improve before the start of the competitive season.
Fenerbahce, meanwhile, will be pleased with their performance and will be confident of a good season ahead.
Key takeaways from the match
- Zenit were not at their best and made a number of mistakes.
- Fenerbahce were the better team on the day and deserved to win.
- The result is a reminder that Zenit still have work to do before the start of the new season.
What's next for Zenit
Zenit will now return to Russia and continue their preparations for the new season.
They will play one more pre-season friendly against FC Rostov on July 23 before starting their Russian Premier League campaign against FC Khimki on July 30.
Fenerbahce, meanwhile, will continue their pre-season preparations with a match against Villarreal on July 23.
