Utkin's free-kick goal and unexpected defeat for Dynamo
On the eve of the 4th round of the Russian Premier League, three teams could boast of 100% in terms of scoring, but they all made mistakes.
First, Dynamo Moscow lost to Akhmat on the road - 1: 2.
Two rented footballers - Daniil Utkin and Vladislav Karapuzov - helped to interrupt the eight-game losing streak in the confrontation with the blue-white Grozny.
Towards the end of the first half, Utkin struck Giorgi Shelia's goal with a direct free-kick, scoring in the second match in a row, and three minutes later Karapuzov scored with a low kick from the penalty area.
In both cases, Anton Shunin did not play in the best way.
First, he missed into the near corner, and then found himself in the path of the ball that bounced off the bar and became the author of his own goal.
As for Dynamo, the first exit based on Denis Makarov, acquired from Rubin, did not bring a positive effect, but ended with the team having their worst meeting in terms of creating scoring chances.
If in previous rounds the indicator of expected goals (xG) for Sandro Schwarz's charges did not fall below 1.88, this time it was only 0.93 - with 18 shots on goal and one hit to the frame.
The only thing that the Muscovites managed to achieve was to reduce the gap in the long run through the efforts of Sebastian Shimanski.
Removal of Kuzyaev and the third goal of Smolov
The next day, the reigning champion of the country failed to extend the winning streak. Zenit played an away match against Lokomotiv with high quality and surpassed it even after violations of the rules by Daler Kuzyaev left the guests in the minority for almost the entire second half. In meetings of the RPL with the railway workers, Petersburgers have not earned removal since September 2012. Then Mikhail Vilkov presented a red card to Roman Shishkin and Alexander Anyukov.
Almost nine years later, Lokomotiv and Zenit also played 1: 1.
But if then both goals were scored from the field in the first half, then this time the fate of the confrontation was decided in the last five minutes, and the goals were issued from the penalty spot.
First, Alexey Sutormin scored the second 11-meter of the season, and then Fedor Smolov scored for the third time.
Another important event was the absence of Artyom Dziuba in the starting lineup.
The ex-captain of the Russian national team entered the field only in the 88th minute, but did not have time to prove himself.
Zinkovsky's masterpiece pass and Rubin's missed chance
Rubin was the last of the leaders to miss the chance to extend the winning streak. Leonid Slutsky's wards knew the outcome of Zenit's performance, going to the match with Wings of the Soviets, but this did not save them from losing points. The reasons for the failure could be both psychological and game: emotional devastation after the fiasco in the League of Conferences or the inability to fully compensate for the loss of the main striker George Despotovich. He not only got injured, which is why he temporarily dropped out of the application for the Russian championship, but also became a figurant of a not very beautiful story, answering rather rudely to one of the fans. One way or another, the Kazan team was able to escape defeat only thanks to a goal by Hwang In Böm from the set and allowed the Samarans to score the first point this season - 1: 1.
“I am pleased that we have withstood and until the end tried to create chances and dominate. It is clear, when you have a difficult schedule and such a difficult field, all efforts should be multiplied by two or three. We have constant forced replacements and injuries of key players. It cannot be said that Rubin showed the maximum, but I am grateful to the guys that the team did not sag. He told the players that they showed character, "Match TV quotes Slutsky.
If Rubin's goal after a half-serve, half-hit by Boehm is more of a curiosity, then the Wings of the Soviets ball has become a kind of work of art.
And all because of the phenomenal heel pass performed by Anton Zinkovsky.
In one unexpected action, he cut off three defenders of the owners and brought Ivan Sergeev one on one with the goalkeeper.
At the end of the match, the Samara forward missed another good moment and it is possible that such extravagance prevented him from getting into the expanded list of the Russian national team to prepare for the September meetings of the World Cup 2022 qualifying tournament.
Akinfeev's record and Semin's blurry "anniversary"
The mistakes of competitors were taken advantage of by two clubs for which the last season was extremely unfortunate.
Being in the process of restructuring CSKA came to visit the recently changed head coach Rostov and not only inflicted his third defeat in the current championship (1: 3), but also spoiled the statistics of the newly minted coach of the Southerners.
For Yuri Semin, this match with the army team was the 40th in his career, and the defeat was the 16th.
More often the specialist lost only to Spartak - 23 times out of 49 games.
Already in the first half, CSKA secured a comfortable advantage thanks to Yaki Biyola's ball after a set and a spectacular low kick from Fedor Chalov, who marked his return to the center-forward position.
Moreover, the filing for the Slovenian was performed by Nikola Vlašić, who has already assisted partners 16 times since his debut in the RPL in August 2018 (more over this period only with Artem Dziuba).
In the second half, the opponents exchanged goals.
Daniil Glebov spoiled the mood of Igor Akinfeev, who repeated Sergei Ignashevich's record for the number of matches played in the Russian championship (489), and Konstantin Maradishvili scored for the second time for the red and blue.
However, the CSKA's positive emotions were a little blurred by the injury of Mario Fernandez, who left the field during the meeting.
“We have no muscle damage.
During the break, Mario warned about the blow that he had in the first half.
(He said -
RT
) that he is aching and that he may not finish playing.
We were ready for this.
And I'm a little surprised by the state of the field at this time of year.
It's weird, ”said CSKA head coach Alexei Berezutsky.
De Villena's conflict with Ilyin and Safonov's absence
Victory was also achieved by Krasnodar, which with six points caught up with CSKA in the standings. Viktor Goncharenko's charges started the match with Arsenal unsuccessfully and conceded already in the opening, but in the shortest possible time they not only bounced back, but also took the lead. In the period from the 24th to the 37th minute, Remi Cabella, Yuri Gazinsky and John Cordoba distinguished themselves. The Colombian continued to justify the € 20 million paid for him, scoring his third goal of the season. At the end of the meeting, he could have distinguished himself again, but hit the crossbar from the 11-meter mark. The Tula did not forgive such extravagance and reduced the difference in the score to a minimum - the double was designed by Evgeny Lutsenko.
At the same time, Krasnodar had a meeting with Arsenal in not the most optimal composition. The main goalkeeper of the Russian national team for Euro 2020 Matvey Safonov unexpectedly gave way to Stanislav Agkatsev, and Tonny de Villena did not make it into the application at all. According to the "Championship", in the pre-match lesson he had a serious conflict with Vladimir Ilyin, as a result of which the Dutchman refused to train and expressed a desire to leave the club. Many associated his absence from the lineup with this situation, but Goncharenko denied these rumors.
“This is definitely not the point. Yes, there was a skirmish, but in any of the healthiest teams, and we have it just like that, there can be an unpleasant situation. We spoke with Villena. This is definitely not the question. Villena understands the contract in her own way, interprets some points. He needs to reread them carefully to understand that the club is absolutely right, ”Goncharenko said at a press conference.