"In the concluding stage of the RPL, 'Krasnodar' outperformed 'Dinamo', while 'Zenit' triumphed over 'Akhmat'"
In the closing fixture of the 2024/25 Russian Premier League (RPL) season on May 24th, the title race came down to two teams—FC Krasnodar and Zenit St Petersburg.
Krasnodar secured their first-ever league championship after a 3-0 home victory over Dynamo Moscow. Goals from John Cordoba, Nikita Krivtsov, and Eduard Spertsyan gave Krasnodar 67 points, surpassing Dynamo, who ended up in fifth place with 56 points.
Meanwhile, Zenit St Petersburg, who had held the championship title since 2019, lost their reign after a 3-0 defeat to Akhmat Grozny. Zenit needed a win and a draw between Krasnodar and Dynamo for a chance at the title, but they fell short, ending the season with 66 points and in second place.
FC CSKA Moscow bagged the bronze medal following a 2-0 victory over Pari Nizhny Novgorod. Goals from Ivan Obljakov and Artem Shumanskyi sealed their 59 points, narrowly missing the title but placing them ahead of Spartak Moscow, who finished fourth with 57 points.
Spartak managed a convincing 5-0 win over Himki, but their efforts fell short in the race for the top spots. Himki ended the season in 12th place with 29 points.
In other matches, Lokomotiv Moscow defeated Akron Tolyatti 4-1, ending the season in sixth place with 53 points. Meanwhile, Fakel Voronezh drew with Wings of the Soviets 1-1, Rostov and Dinamo Makhachkala played out a 1-1 draw, and Orenburg lost to Rubin Kazan 1-2.
The losses for Orenburg and Fakel Voronezh sealed their relegation to the Russian First League, marking the end of their Premier League stints. Akhmat Grozny finished 13th and will participate in the relegation play-offs to keep their place in the top division.
The overall standings for the 2024/25 Russian Premier League season are as follows:
- FC Krasnodar
- Zenit St Petersburg
- CSKA Moscow
- Spartak Moscow
- Dynamo Moscow
- Lokomotiv Moscow
- Rubin Kazan
- Rostov
- Akron Tolyatti
- Krylya Sovetov
- Dinamo Makhachkala
- Khimki
- Akhmat Grozny – Qualified for relegation play-offs
- Pari Nizhny Novgorod
- Orenburg – Relegated to First League
- Fakel Voronezh – Relegated to First League
In European leagues, the Russian Premier League (RPL) saw FC Krasnodar secure their inaugural league championship after a dominant 3-0 home victory in their final game of the 2024/25 season. Meanwhile, Zenit St Petersburg, who had held the title since 2019, lost their reign and finished in second place, having failed to secure a win against Akhmat Grozny.
