Zenit Hit Back to Beat CSKA 3–1 After Early Oblyakov Penalty in RFPL Clash
FK Zenit Sankt-Petersburg produced an impressive comeback to defeat PFC CSKA Moskva 3–1 in their RFPL matchday 28 encounter on 2 May 2026, tightening their grip on the top end of the table in the regular season.
CSKA struck first in Moscow, taking the lead inside four minutes. Ivan Oblyakov stepped up to convert a penalty, putting the hosts 1–0 ahead and briefly tilting the momentum their way.
Zenit responded strongly and were level on 30 minutes. Igor Diveev scored against his former club's colours, finishing a move created by Pedrinho Santos to make it 1–1 and shift the pressure back onto the home side.
After the break, Zenit seized control. In the 51st minute Aleksandr Sobolev turned the game around, completing a move assisted by Maksim Glushenkov to give the visitors a 2–1 lead. Nine minutes later, Luiz Henrique added a third, again after neat work from Glushenkov, as Zenit surged into a comfortable 3–1 advantage by the hour mark.
CSKA head coach reacted with a flurry of substitutions around the 57th and 66th minutes, introducing Matheus Reis and Henrique Fabiano among others in search of a response, while Zenit later brought on Daniil Kondakov, Román Vega and Aleksandr Erokhin to manage the closing stages.
The match was competitive throughout, with bookings for Nino, Matija Popović, Milan Gajić, Maksim Glushenkov and Dmitry Barinov reflecting the intensity of the contest.
Zenit's clinical second-half display ultimately proved decisive, overturning CSKA's early advantage and securing a valuable away win in the RFPL. More detailed match statistics beyond goals, cards and substitutions were not immediately available.
Full match details: CSKA Moskva vs Zenit.
RFPL Standings
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
FK Krasnodar
|
28 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 56 | 21 | 35 | 63 | W W W D D |
| 2 |
FK Zenit Sankt-Petersburg
|
28 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 50 | 18 | 32 | 62 | W W D W D |
| 3 |
FK Lokomotiv Moskva
|
28 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 52 | 36 | 16 | 50 | D L D W D |
| 4 |
FK Spartak Moskva
|
28 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 45 | 38 | 7 | 48 | L W L W D |
| 5 |
FK Baltika Kaliningrad
|
28 | 11 | 13 | 4 | 37 | 18 | 19 | 46 | L L D D D |
| 6 |
PFC CSKA Moskva
|
28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 39 | 31 | 8 | 45 | L D D D L |
| 7 |
FK Rubin Kazan
|
28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 42 | W D W D D |
| 8 |
FK Dinamo Moskva
|
28 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 47 | 38 | 9 | 39 | D W L D W |
| 9 |
RFK Akhmat Grozny
|
28 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 33 | 37 | -4 | 35 | W L D L D |
| 10 |
FK Rostov
|
28 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 30 | -8 | 30 | W L D L D |
| 11 |
PFK Krylya Sovetov Samara
|
28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 31 | 48 | -17 | 29 | W W L D D |
| 12 |
FK Akron Tolyatti
|
28 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 33 | 46 | -13 | 27 | L W D D L |
| 13 |
FK Orenburg
|
28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 28 | 41 | -13 | 26 | L W W L D |
| 14 |
FK Dinamo Makhachkala
|
28 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 36 | -18 | 24 | L L D L D |
| 15 |
FK Nizhny Novgorod
|
28 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 23 | 46 | -23 | 22 | L L L D D |
| 16 |
PFK Sochi
|
28 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 27 | 57 | -30 | 21 | W L W W W |
