With a final match-day 3-1 victory over
Spartak Moscow at Luzhniki Stadium, defending league and UEFA Cup Champions secured the final European spot. Dick Advocaat's men had their backs against the fall and facing a tough nemesis in Spartak they needed to lift-up their play for a victory. Their responsive was swift, cutting and decisive as
Myaso was overwhelmed and only five minutes into the match
Russian international Pavel Pogrebniak scored to give Zenit the lead. The defending champions looked never in-doubt and only fourteen minutes later ex-Dinamo man
Danni plundered Spartak for another goal to double the margin. Michael Laudrup's side, who stumbled horribly in the final three matches with only a single point, were on the ropes and with four minutes to the break
Danni delivered the knockout punch. While Spartak drew one back with Aleksandr Pavlenko two minutes after the re-start, they could not break through Viacheslav Malafeev goal again and the match concluded with Zenit triumphant 3-1.
It was a challenging year for Zenit, a victim of their own success but in the end like a great champion they came through. Through the mettle of their great leader, Dick Advocaat, they gutted out the tough wins, worked through the fog of controversy and got the tough job done. Unquestionably for the loyal Zenit supporters, it will be a different lineup next campaign and I suspect as Andrei Arshavin walked off in the final stages of the match it will be his final for Zenit in league-play. However the core of the club is intact and great fighting spirit remains.
