"Zenith does not have the superiority it had last season."

- Zenit in August played difficult matches with CSKA and Dynamo. Did you get the impression that in these meetings the Petersburgers did not look much stronger than their rivals?

- It really is. The blues, whites and blues played two matches with strong opponents, and it became obvious that today Zenit does not have such an advantage as it was last season. At the same time, the fate of the games we are talking about is often decided by the factor of psychological mood. In such meetings, the players show their best qualities and the favorite does not always have an advantage. Yes, in the games against CSKA and Dynamo, the Petersburgers did not look perfect. They had a lot of problems, they did not have the necessary control of the ball, oddly enough, they lacked speed and emotion. Due to the class and skill, Zenit cannot beat these teams today.

- So, we can say that CSKA and Dynamo's attitude to play with the champion played a big role?

- That's what I mean. Zenit did not have the same emotions as the rivals. The Moscow teams turned out to be as motivated as possible.

- What do you think is the reason?

- Now in “Zenith” foreign performers are taking the first roles, and the Russian-speaking core is not so decisive. For CSKA and Dynamo, the legionaries do not play such an important role, although it can be said that the Zenit goal was struck just by the foreigners - Nikola Vlasic and Toni Shunich. In any case, this is exclusively my opinion, and not the ultimate truth. 

- Is it possible to say that the difference in class between Zenit and the rest of the teams claiming medals is not so great?

- Zenit is still the clear favorite of the Russian championship, other teams are inferior to it. Yes, it is unlikely that St. Petersburg by the end of the season will be able to break away from the closest pursuers by 20-30 points, but still blue-white-blue are still the strongest. To maintain this status, Zenit needs to find constant motivation for their players. At the same time, the class of players is beyond doubt.

- Can such matches be called a kind of rehearsal for Zenit before the Champions League?

- Indeed, Semak's charges have problems when they are played as hard, fast and tight as possible. For this reason, I have some doubts about the prospects of St. Petersburg in the Champions League. Today's speed of blue-white-blue, as it seems to me, is still not high enough for a successful game in the main European club tournament. By success, I mean not getting out of the group, because with a successful draw it is quite possible. But it will be difficult to go further, since a lot of teams play in the Champions League, which are stronger and faster than Zenit. And in games like CSKA and Dynamo, you can check how fast the decision-making speed and the desire to fight are enough for Semak's team.

Lokomotiv is a serious threat "

- Should we expect the same tight game from Lokomotiv as from CSKA against Dynamo?

- The railroad workers found themselves in a very unpleasant situation: they lost at home to Akhmat and lost two key players. Nevertheless, red-greens still pose a serious threat. An easy life for Semak should not be expected in any case. But the champion will, of course, be the favorite. A misfire in the last round should help the team. Although Lokomotiv should also be charged after the defeat.

- What will Zenit look like in the match with Lokomotiv without Vilmar Barrios, without whom it is difficult to imagine the team's support zone?

- I don't think this is a serious problem. Magomed Ozdoev can play deeper. Douglas Santos can also close this position. In this case, Yuri Zhirkov will appear on the left flank of the defense. 

- Can Semak change the scheme in the absence of Barrios: play with one pivot, and release a more attacking player at the base? 

- Maybe. Ozdoev is able to cope with the work in the center of the field without the Colombian. But in any case, he will not be left alone: ​​someone will descend to him depending on the situation. Magomed is not a "breakwater", he does not play strictly in one position.

- Also Sebastian Driussi will not help Zenit due to injury. Should Semak be entrusted with a place at the base of Andrey Mostovy, who showed himself well on loan at Sochi and was called up to the national team?

“I don’t think the absence of Driussi is such a big loss. The current "Zenith" is just different in that it has players who are able to change each other without losing quality. As for Mostovoy, he played quite successfully with Dynamo and was one of the best in the blue-white-blue team. At the same time, it is necessary to understand how Semak's playing philosophy is built and what requirements he makes to athletes in different situations. After all, a player for a single match can shift not only to different positions - the tasks facing him also change.

- How can Zenit build their attacking actions, taking into account the fact that Lokomotiv's central defenders Murilo and Vedran Chorluka often lose ground during quick transitions? 

- The railwaymen had problems in the center of defense for a long time. And it was surprising for me that Solomon Kverkvelia dropped out of the squad, although earlier the Georgian had acted in tandem with Chorluka. This duo was quite stable. Murilo played at the base a lot of matches, but he makes more mistakes than he would like. Somewhere a Brazilian gets carried away when leaving the zone, although that is not the point.

- What strengths can be noted in today's Lokomotiv?

- I consider the attacking game to be the trump card of the railwaymen, even when Oleksiy Miranchuk is absent, and he is the most important figure in the team. The red-greens have mobile flanks - both in the first and second lines.

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"I don't think that Lokomotiv's management will look for a new coach."

- In the attack, the railway workers have gathered players who are able to sharpen the game. Don't you think that the injury of Dmitry Barinov for the team at the moment is a more significant loss than the possible departure of Alexey Miranchuk?

- Damage to Barinov is a big nuisance. When Dmitry is on the field, the same Grzegorz Krychowiak acts more freely when developing attacks. Now the Pole will have to play deeper. There is a risk of allowing gaps between the lines, however, things can go completely differently. Moreover, the young Stanislav Magkeev has an opportunity to prove himself. Top clubs shouldn't have any problems at all because of the loss of two or three players. This is permissible for outsiders, but not for teams that play in the Champions League. At the same time, I think that Barinov and Miranchuk are equally important for Lokomotiv.

- If Alexey Miranchuk still leaves the team, will his brother Anton be ready to take on the burden of leadership?

-When Anton is in optimal functional condition, he is quite capable of doing this. But so far he has not played many matches in the new season. Although in terms of potential, Anton is able to play the role of Alexei.

- How can Lokomotiv footballers resist Malkiy, taking into account the fact that both central defenders of the team are slow, and Barinov was seriously injured?

- It is better not to enter the field and get a technical defeat with a score of 0: 3 for no show. ( Laughs ) But this is a joke, of course. In every game, such problems arise, the team must solve them based on their capabilities. And in "Lokomotiv" in no case should they think that they will easily build defensive redoubts and beat Zenit. The railroad workers have obvious problems in defense. Blue-white-blue lacks motivation, but everything else is in order.

- At the same time, Dynamo managed to beat Zenit, betting on the formation with three central defenders. Shouldn't the railway workers repeat this move?

- For Zenit, the opponent's scheme does not matter. Petersburgers themselves lost that meeting, and not Dynamo won it. Semak's team had the advantage. The coach even later replaced Dziuba, since there was no point in keeping him on the field - Muscovites won the fight on the second floor. And in general, Semak made the right decisions during the match.

- In the last three matches, the red-greens scored only one point. A possible defeat by Zenit can make the leadership of the railway workers think about Nikolic's resignation?

- To begin with, it should be said that when Nikolic took over as the head of the team, it was completely unreasonable for him to change anything, since everything was adjusted for Lokomotiv, and he did absolutely right that he did not try to resort to drastic changes. Also, due to force majeure circumstances, the Serb spent just a week in pre-season training. It is impossible to build a new team in such a time. I do not think that Lokomotiv's management will look for a new coach even in the event of defeat by Zenit. The fans will get another reason to express their position, but that's another story.