Zenit goalkeeper Denis Adamov told Match TV what happened in the team’s dressing room during halftime of their match against Sochi.
On Sunday, Zenit came from behind to win 2-1 at home in the 29th round of the RPL.
“It was a tough comeback win, but emotions after the final whistle were obviously good. Even though not everything worked during the match. I was also happy to make it a special day for Misha Kerzhakov – both for him and the club. We wanted to give everyone a celebration.”
“Did the missed penalty early on affect the game?”
“We started well, but we didn’t score from the penalty or from several good chances in open play. As often happens, in that situation the opponent gains confidence. Sochi then launched attacks and counterattacks, and we ended up conceding a strange goal. That made things difficult. At halftime we analyzed what was missing and where we needed to improve. Basically, we went into the second half thinking we had nothing to lose.”
“When Zenit scored the second goal, almost the whole team, including the bench, rushed to celebrate at the corner flag. Did you want to join?”
“Given that we couldn’t afford to drop points under any circumstances, it was a very emotional moment. But I held back – I didn’t run because there were still about eight minutes to play. In that situation, better to stay focused until the end.”
“Before the match, you said you wished Sochi luck in the league except against Zenit. Did you talk to your former teammates after the game?”
“Yes. Apart from Zenit, Sochi is probably the only team in the RPL that I root for and watch their games. Now it’s painful because they are fighting to avoid relegation. But obviously, on the pitch there are no friends – in this match they were opponents we had to beat,” Adamov told Match TV.
Zenit now has 65 points and moved to the top of the table.