Belgorod beat Zenit St Petersburg 3-0 in a club friendly on Monday, 22 September 2026. The match took place in St Petersburg and finished without any further complications recorded. Zenit failed to find the net against a Belgorod side that showed composure throughout.
The result gives Belgorod a clean sheet and three points from a game where they controlled the tempo. Zenit had won their previous meeting against Belgorod 3-2 in May, but this time the visitors took control. The hosts struggled to create clear chances and could not break down the away defence.
Zenit's recent form shows mixed results. They lost two of their last five matches, including consecutive 3-0 defeats to Dynamo Moscow and Novosibirsk. Their only win in that stretch came against Zenit Kazan before the loss to Dynamo. The team had been scoring regularly but now faces defensive concerns.
Belgorod's record has been inconsistent. They beat Zenit St Petersburg 3-2 in May but have since lost three of their last four matches. The away end never stopped supporting despite the run of results. They showed character in their wins over Novy Urengoy twice and Ufa earlier in the year.
The friendly leaves both sides with different questions. Zenit will look to improve defensively before competitive fixtures. Belgorod need to maintain the momentum from this victory. The result does not affect any standings, but it provides valuable testing ground for both coaches.
