Seven goals scored and the return of Glushakov
“Spartak” in the return match with the “Glasgow Rangers” had no right to misfire. In the first three games of the Europa League group stage, the red and white scored only two points, and even another draw could significantly reduce their chances of getting into the playoffs of the tournament, not to mention defeat.
At the same time, the Moscow team came to a responsible meeting in limbo. Massimo Carrera flew away from Russia on the day of the match, and the name of his successor still remains unknown. Acting head coach of “Spartacus” Raul Riancho most fans do not take seriously.
So far, the Spaniard is most clearly manifested at press conferences, which with the participation of ex-assistant Carrera drag on for half an hour, or even more. So at the pre-match press conference, Riancho said a lot and, in particular, promised the journalists that they would like the line-up for the game with Glasgow Rangers.
As a result, the Spaniard really managed to surprise everyone. First, he returned to the support zone Fernando. Secondly, team captain George Jikia unexpectedly remained in reserve, and Ilya Kutepov and Salvatore Bokketti made up the duo in the center of defense. The latter, moreover, received a captain's armband. Plus Roman Eremenko returned to the starting lineup.
Debut match turned out for the hosts extremely unfortunate. They supported the trend of CSKA and Lokomotiv and missed the very first minutes. After a corner all the same Eremenko cut the ball into his own goal.
Further game in the first half more like a yard football. Both teams made serious mistakes in defense and with great desire went on the attack.
In the middle of the first half, “Spartak” managed to recoup. Lorenzo Melgarejo from several meters brought the ball into the net after the filing of Ivelina Popova from the flank.
Five minutes later, red and white missed again. This time, Melgarejo made a mistake with artificial offside. Undoubtedly acted and other defenders of “Spartacus”, with the exception of the young Nikolai Rasskazova, who diligently worked out on the right flank.
It was after his lunge Connor Goldson cut the ball into his own net - 2: 2.
But that was not all. At the 41st minute, 18-year-old Glenn Middleton brought the visitors back again after cutting Bocchetti, and just before the break, the fourth ball of the Glasgow Rangers was canceled due to an out of dispute.
Thus, “Spartak” managed to miss three times with two strikes of an opponent to the shots of the goal of Alexander Maksimenko, who had not the best match.
But the rival, as already mentioned, also made a huge number of mistakes, and Spartak had every chance of winning.
And after the break, the red-and-whites confirmed that they were just above the class, despite all the problems the team had.
The guests did not long managed to keep the account arranging them. After an hour of play, the red-and-whites distinguished themselves twice in two minutes. At first, Luiz Adriano finished off the ball with a head, and then Sofian Hanni with a long-range shot led Spartak forward.
Riancho immediately released to the field of Denis Glushakov, to strengthen the reference area. Tribunes met football player whistle, but Bokketti immediately gave him a bandage. And after the final whistle, the midfielder did not approach the fan stand, from where came the exclamations “Judas”.
Castling helped the hosts to keep the winning result. At the same time, after the break, the red-and-white claimed two 11 meters at once, but the judge in both episodes made a controversial decision and did not indicate a “point”.
And in the end, the fans of red and whites had to go through several unpleasant moments. After a corner, Nikola Katic almost equalized the score, but the owners were saved by a barbell.
Spartak scored the most important three points and climbed to second place in Group G. Red-white also won the first strong-willed victory in European competition in more than seven years. The last such success came in the game of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League - 2010/11. The Moscow team on the road during the match was inferior to 0: 2, but eventually managed to take the upper hand - 3: 2 and made it into the next stage.
18-year-old joker "Krasnodar" and the will to win
Krasnodar managed to win another strong-willed victory. Murad Musaev’s wards also needed to score three points in a home game against the Belgian Standard after a defeat away from home two weeks ago.
However, the game began for the hosts extremely unfortunate. At the 19th minute, the team from Belgium went ahead after a precise strike by the ex-midfielder “Anji” Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez.
In general, “Krasnodar” in the first half, acted not too successfully. Southerners possessed the ball, but regularly flirted and allowed their opponents to respond with dangerous counterattacks. The guests ahead were successfully acted by the aforementioned Carcela-Gonzalez and another footballer with experience in playing RPL, Maxim Lestienne.
The young goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who received a chance, did not always look confidently.
After the break, the advantage of "Krasnodar" became more significant. And in the middle of the second half, Musaev was not afraid to throw young Ivan Ignatiev and Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov into the battle instead of the leaders of the team Victor Klasson and Charles Kabore.
It seemed that such replacements could weaken the Southerners, but it turned out the opposite. The move va-bank fully justified itself: “Standard” was pressed to the gate.
And on the 79th minute, the joker Musaev - Suleymanov played. After a fine transfer Wanderson 18-year-old striker struck exactly into the far corner.
Magomed-Shapi continues to justify the title of the real “magic wand” of “Krasnodar”. This season, the young striker played for the main team of southerners for only 147 minutes in all tournaments, but managed to score four goals in them. Plus Suleymanov scored 9 points for performance (3 goals + 6 assists) in the FNL.
And Krasnodar did not stop at that. After just a few minutes after the return ball, the same Wanderson played in the wall with Ari and brought the “bulls” victory.
Wards Musaev again showed character and pulled out three points towards the end of the match. This season Krasnodar has scored 14 goals after 75 minutes in all tournaments.
Salvation Zabolotnogo and a goal from the penalty spot
But the “Zenith” to please the fans with a victory failed, but the St. Petersburg people, at least, left from defeat. In the absence of Artem Dziuba and Branislav Ivanovich, who was given a slight injury, who was given a rest by the coaching staff, blue-white-blue away played a draw with Bordeaux.
In this case, the wards of Sergei Semak had another ordinary match. From the first minutes the opponent took possession of the ball and began to conduct a systematic siege of the gate of Andrei Lunev. Especially good in the home team was striker Franus Camano.
“Zenit” for the time being restrained the attacks of “Bordeaux”, but he practically did not move forward. Anton Zabolotny had to fight alone for the ball in a strange half of the field.
As a result, the goal of the French team in the middle of the first half turned out to be absolutely logical, even if the hosts scored from the penalty spot. Emanuel Mamman in his own penalty in the subcategory dumped an opponent, and the already mentioned Kamano opened the scoring.
Only having conceded, the Zenit players showed signs of life and even conducted a dangerous attack. Just before the break, Benoit Costil barely pulled out Zabolotny's blow from close range.
In the second half, the game has not changed. “Bordeaux” is still trying to control the ball, and the “Zenith” almost nothing happened.
However, Semak at the right time spent two timely replacements. Instead of tired Alexander Erokhin and Alexander Anyukov, Robert Mack and Daler Kuzyaev appeared on the field.
As a result, it was Daler who created all the conditions for the Zenit return ball. The midfielder dragged the projectile to the front and laid it in the center of the penalty area exactly on Zabolotny's leg, who could only miss.