Controversial penalty and the eighth goal of Sobolev
The 11th round started with a match between two outsiders of the RPL “Wings of the Soviets” and “Tambov” in Samara. At the same time, both teams flew out of the Russian Cup during the week, and accordingly were determined to rehabilitate themselves. The guests were also motivated by the birthday of the head coach of the team Alexander Grigoryan. However, the wards failed to please the mentor. The hosts of the whole match took the initiative, created the moments and won a well-deserved victory, the first in the last five matches.
At the same time, Wings of the Soviets failed to score for a long time, but 20 minutes before the end the team of Miodrag Bozovic was helped by judge Sergei Ivanov, who appointed an extremely unobvious penalty in the goal of Tambov for a foul on Maxim Kanunnikov. Alexander Sobolev not only sold the penalty kick and scored the eighth goal in the national championship, but literally in the next attack he performed an ideal assist for Kanunnikov.
Another defeat of Dynamo and Leshchuk's mistakes
Going next in the group of leaders, “Rostov” managed to rehabilitate for an unexpected defeat from “Tambov” in the previous round. The wards of Valery Karpin defeated Dynamo, which is in a deep crisis, and once again demonstrated that they were unstoppable in their native walls. In the new season, the yellow-blue did not suffer a single loss here and only tied in six games.
To some extent, the guests from the capital were not lucky, because they did not realize a number of dangerous moments and at the same time they missed the most not obligatory balls. So, Igor Leshchuk in the middle of the first half allowed Eldor Shomurodov to score a blow from the “zero corner”. The Uzbek scored the ninth goal in the RPL and regained the sole leadership in the tournament scorers race. Shortly before this, Ivelin Popov opened the score with a bite to a rally. The goalkeeper failed to react, although the ball flew over his head.
And at the very end of the match Leshchuk unsuccessfully played on the way out and allowed Baktiyor Zainutdinov to score, who scored only 83 seconds after appearing on the field. In addition, almost half an hour Dynamo was forced to spend in the minority due to the removal of Zaurbek Pliev.
Two unscored goals and Lunev’s mistake
In the central match of the round, Lokomotiv and Zenit representing Russia in the Champions League met. Opponents demonstrated a tense game with a minimum of dangerous moments, which was understandable, given the price that was at stake in this match.
As often happens in such fights, the game essentially went to the goal. The railroad managed to score him. Grzegorz Krychowiak at the beginning of the second half decided to hit from outside the box. Andrey Lunev was not ready for him and, apparently, too late he saw a ball flying out from behind his partner’s legs. The Pole was already marked with the fifth goal in the current season of the RPL and the sixth in all tournaments.
Subsequently, Zenit struggled to recoup, but Lokomotiv defended fairly calmly and without panic kept the desired result. In the end, the St. Petersburg team managed to score in the fourth added minute, when even Lunev went ahead. It was he who served in the penalty area, after which a panic began at the gates of the hosts, and substitute Robert Mack sent the ball into the net.
But the joy of the wards of Semak was premature. Judge Mikhail Vilkov, after watching the replay, canceled the goal because of a hand game with Alexei Sutormin. It should be added that at the end of the first half, the judge also with the help of VAR canceled the goal of Fedor Smolov. Thus, in this aspect, the teams split the world, but Loko still turned out to be stronger and caught up with the St. Petersburg team in the standings. The blue-white-blue ones did not manage to print out the 300th match in the composition of the red-green Marinato Guillerme.
The second unrealized penalty of Chalov and Icelandic day in CSKA
The misfire of the “Zenith” the next day with pleasure took advantage of CSKA. CSKA on the road scored three unanswered goals against the Urals and headed the RPL for the first time since May 2016. That season, the red and blue became the country's champions.
As for the reporting match, the score in the 17th minute after the filing of the corner was opened by Herdur Magnusson, who scored in the second match in a row. And after the break, another Icelander Ragnar Sigurdsson and Jake Bijol succeeded in scoring.
The only fly in the ointment for the team was unrealized by Fedor Chalov in the penalty shootout. The last scorer of the last season, the RPL did not score from the “point” for the second time in a row, but this did not prevent CSKA from winning a fifth consecutive victory in the national championship.
Three shots on target and the most boring match
Probably the most boring match of the tour took place in Kazan, where Rubin and Ufa failed to hit each other's gates. An indicative moment: in the first half the teams delivered only one shot on target for two. After the break, the rivals intensified a bit and created several dangerous episodes. For example, the guests in the very ending from the penalty kick hit the post, Daniel Fomin. But the account was never opened.
Thus, the Kazan team interrupted a series of five defeats in a row in all tournaments, but again failed to win. The last time, wards of Roman Sharonov scored three points in the RPL back in mid-August.
Bad luck “Spartacus” and injury Ayrton
The game between Spartak and Orenburg turned out to be much more interesting. After three defeats in a row, the red-and-white were finally determined to win. And the team of Oleg Kononov really started the meeting not bad. The hosts created dangerous moments and could very well open an account. But a couple of times the guests were saved by goalkeeper Andrei Klimovich, and after a strike from Ayrton from outside the penalty area, the bar.
However, at the very end of the first half, when nothing portended trouble, Spartak unexpectedly missed. It all started with the injury of the same Ayrton, because of which he could not return to the field. While the Brazilian was assisted, Lorenzo Melgarejo did not keep track of Andrei Malykh at the far post and allowed him to close the partner's canopy.
In the second half of the meeting, the hosts rushed to storm the gates of others, but instead of scoring, they conceded another. After filing a corner, George Despotovich successfully turned his head and cut the ball into the far corner. Only finding themselves in a hopeless situation, red-white distinguished themselves. Melgarejo also, after filing a corner, reduced the backlog.
Feeling confident in his abilities, Spartak went ahead with the whole team, and Kononov threw fresh Jordan Larsson and Reziuan Mirzov into battle. But it did not help to recoup. Orenburg defended itself as disciplined and organized as possible. True, in a couple of episodes the hosts claimed a penalty, but the judge Stanislav Vasiliev did not point to the “point”. Spartak for the first time in nine years suffered four consecutive defeats in the RPL, and Kononov resigned after the match.
The long-awaited victory of Krasnodar and the dissatisfaction of Arsenal with the judge
And Krasnodar, on the contrary, managed to interrupt the unsuccessful series and win an important home victory over Arsenal. Southerners opened an account in the middle of the first half with a penalty. Ari earned a penalty and realized it himself. True, the leadership of the Tuleks by such a decision of the judge was very dissatisfied, despite the presence of VAR.
In the second half, the advantage of “Krasnodar” was strengthened by Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov. For him, the goal scored became the fourth in the current season of the RPL and the sixth in all tournaments. The only, but very serious fly in the ointment ahead of the match with Spartak for the team was the removal of Tonni de Villena at the very end of the meeting. The Dutchman stepped on the opponent’s foot, and the judge after watching the replay decided that this foul was worth a direct red card.
A masterpiece from Noboa and the third victory of Sochi
The tour ended with a duel between Sochi and Akhmat. The RPL newcomer, who added after a dull start and scored a couple of victories, intended to score three points. They were necessary and Grozny, who started extremely unsuccessfully.
Unfortunately for fans of Akhmat, the unsuccessful series of their team continued. In Sochi, wards Rashid Rakhimov conceded two unanswered goals. The main character of the confrontation was midfielder Andrei Mostovoy, who not only opened an account, but also gave an assist to Christian Noboa. However, in this situation, Ecuadorian himself did everything. He dragged the ball to someone else's penalty area and beautifully threw it at the goalkeeper's collar.
Sochi has noticeably improved its position in the standings, but Akhmat has not known victories in the RPL for seven matches. It is not surprising that after the final whistle, Rakhimov filed a resignation letter, and the club management accepted it.