ROSTOV-NA-DONU (Interstat) — Substitute Aleksandr Sobolev scored the only goal as FK Zenit defeated FK Rostov 1-0 on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Rostov Arena in the Russian Premier League opener for both clubs. Midfielder Aleksey Mironov recorded an assist on the goal, with additional helpers credited to midfielder Mohammad Mohebbi, forward Kirill Shchetinin, substitute Luiz Henrique and defender Danila Prokhin. The match featured five yellow cards, handed out to Mohebbi in the 10th minute, Mironov in the 13th, Shchetinin in the 52nd, Henrique in the 77th and Prokhin in the 88th. Zenit’s Dmitrii Chistiakov was shown a red card in the 72nd minute, leaving his team with 10 men. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Zenit held on for the victory, improving to 1-0 in the Russian Premier League and across all competitions. Rostov dropped to 0-1 in both.