Tag: Lokomotiv Moscow

Azmoun scores a cheeky goal for Zenit to lift the super cup.

Sardar Azmoun scored a cheeky goal to open his scoring for the new season in his club Zenit St. Petersburg win over Lokomotiv Moscow to help his club lift the Russian Super Cup.

The match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Lokomotiv Moscow ended 3-0 for the Russian League Titleholder.

In the 56th minute of the match played on Saturday in Kaliningrad Stadium, the opener of the Russian Premier League season, Azmoun received a perfect long pass from the Brazilian midfielder Malcom. Azmoun easily dribbled past the on-rushing defender and virtually walked the ball all the way past the goal line after beating the fully stretched Lokomotiv keeper with a shimmy. The Team Melli center forward goal was a continuation of where he left off last season.

After the goal, the second of the night for Zenit, Azmoun was substituted for a well-earned rest.

Liverpool and Sardar Azmoun

Team Melli striker, Sardar Azmoun has finally reacted to rumours about the Interest of the European Leauge Champions, Liverpool FC interest in signing him.

Azmoun said “Whatever the case, I am a Zenit St. Petersburg player and I am bound by the contract. If there is anything, then the club will make it public. Right now, I have nothing to add”

Liverpool have been scouting Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Sardar Azmoun and the Iranian’s excellent form has impressed the onlookers, according to reports in Russia. Azmoun has been in exceptional form in the Russian Premier League side Zenit Saint Petersburg ever since his winter move to the club from Rubin Kazan. The 24-year-old moved to Zenit from Rubin Kazan on 1 February this year and has been finding the back of the net on a regular basis ever since.

Azmoun has scored 14 goals in 17 matches across all competitions since his arrival, including the two in the Russian Super Cup on Saturday, which Liverpool scouts were in attendance for, according to SovSport. Zenit went on to lose 3-2 to Lokomotiv Moscow, but the brace from the Iranian appeared to confirm to the visitors from Merseyside that he is the bright talent they thought he was. Currently, Jurgen Klopp team has Mohammed Salah, Saido Mane, Roberto Firmino, Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi in their forward line.

Liverpool was first linked with Azmoun back in the January transfer window of 2017, but he was not interested in the switch due to a likely lack of game time.

“There were talks of Liverpool having expressed an interest in me during the past winter transfer window,” Azmoun said in 2017.

“However, I did not feel the time to move was right.  I would have ended up playing a few games and then spent a great deal of time on the bench as Liverpool were only looking to fill a void for a particular part of their season.  I want to move to a big club to develop as a player and therefore I will time the move with great precision.  I am sure I will be playing for a top European club in the near future.”

Azmoun commented on the replacement for Queiroz and said: “I am very pleased that Wilmots’ appointment. He is a great coach for the national team. He and Queiroz are both good coaches. My point is that we should be happy to welcome a new coach and show due respect to the one that departed as well”.

Azmoun was asked about the change in tactics and how it affected him during the World Cup 2018 by the way the team played, he said: “At the World Cup, I was tasked to retreat and support our defensive line, while I never did it before in my career. Maybe that’s why people were criticizing me. It’s good now that the national team plays an offensive plan, but if we play aggressively and do not conclude, people still say criticize”.

“I do not seek the Iranian scoring record,” he said, referring to the large number of international matches and the possibility of him breaking the all-time goal-scoring record currently held by Ali Daei. Azmoun said “Ali Daei is a great player, a legend. Anyone can perhaps beat this record but that still does not diminish the value of the player.”