Through the efforts of goalkeepers: how the saves of Selikhov and Safonov helped Spartak and Krasnodar start the RPL Winter Cup with victories

Failed gift to Karpin

Bright football was expected from the opening match of the RPL Winter Cup between Rostov and Spartak.

Firstly, the games between these teams are fundamental, given that the head coach of the southerners, Valery Karpin, played for the red-whites in the past, and then worked with them for several years.

In addition, the wards, for sure, were eager to give the mentor a nice gift for the 54th anniversary, which fell right on the day of the game.

Secondly, meetings of rivals usually turn out to be productive and rich in events.

In the last five full-time games, the teams scored only one goal only once, and in three cases upset each other five times or more.

A goalless draw in this confrontation has not been recorded at all since 2002.

However, the fans who came to the UAE did not wait for the spectacle.

The teams had an important sparring with a lot of wrestling, martial arts and running work, but with a minimum of chances.

An eloquent fact: in the first half, only one shot on target was recorded.

Anton Zinkovsky completed the counterattack with a shot from outside the penalty area right into the hands of Sergei Pesyakov.

Muscovites clearly lacked Quincy Promes, although Zinkovsky and Mikhail Ignatov, who were located on the flanks of the attack, were active.

The yellow-blues scored only a couple of inaccurate long-range attempts and did not disturb Alexander Maksimenko.

In the second half of the meeting, the lineups of the opponents changed dramatically, but this did not affect the course of the game much.

There were still almost no approaches to the gate.

At Spartak, immediately after the break, newcomer Alexis Duarte entered the field, making a duet in the center of defense with Nikita Chernov.

The Paraguayan almost did not remember anything, but he did not make any blunders either.

The same can be said for Tomasz Tavares, who replaced Daniil Khlusevich on the right wing after an hour of play.

It is not surprising that the protagonist of the brightest moment in regular time was not the players, but the chief referee Kirill Levnikov.

According to the tournament regulations, each team may require viewing of two controversial episodes per match - one per half.

At the very end of the meeting, the wards of Guillermo Abascal took advantage of this right.

Danil Prutsev left the defender on the left edge, burst into the penalty area and completed the cross.

Young Pavel Bocharov tried to interrupt the transfer, and the ball hit him in his left hand.

It seemed that the arbiter would most likely point to the "point", but he did not record a violation of the rules.

“The football player does not see the pass.

The hand automatically rises randomly, there is a little contact.

I leave my original decision, the game is unintentional.

The moment is not punishable, ”Levnikov delivered a verdict at the monitors.

As a result, the outcome of the confrontation was determined in a penalty shootout.

But even there, there was an impression that no one wanted to score.

It is rare when the "lottery" ends with a score of 2:1.

Plus, Alexander Selikhov caught incredible courage.

The master of the reflection of the penalty this time took three hits from the "point".

Dmitry Poloz, a permanent penalty shooter in Rostov, also failed to break through.

What can we say about the young Yegor Golenkov and Stepan Melnikov.

Moreover, the goalkeeper also guessed the direction of Viktor Melekhin's shot, but he missed the target.

Among the southerners, only Danila Sukhomlinov distinguished himself, while among the Muscovites, Alexander Sobolev and Balde Keita realized their attempts.

After such a confident performance, Selikhov was praised even by Pesyakov, who called him a legend.

And Sobolev admitted that he was no longer surprised by his partner's saves.

Karpin, on the other hand, was not very upset by the defeat on his birthday and admitted that he was generally pleased with what he saw, especially until the 70th minute, when a large group of young people appeared on the field.

As a gift, he wished a peaceful sky over his head and health to himself and his loved ones.

By the way, not only the wards congratulated the coach.

For example, Georgiy Jikia specifically went into the opponent's locker room for this.

Abascal, for sure, also said a couple of kind words to him.

Before the starting whistle, the experts hugged and spoke a little in Spanish.

Successful premier of Ivic

In the second match of the RPL Winter Cup, the coaching confrontation came to the fore, as both teams changed coaches in the winter.

Sochi was headed by Kurban Berdyev, who returned to Russia after three and a half years of absence, and Krasnodar was headed by Serb Vladimir Ivic, who had previously successfully worked in Greece, Israel and England.

As a result, the Serb managed to take over.

There was an impression that his wards simply approached the tournament better physically prepared, especially since they are already waiting for the Russian Cup match with CSKA on February 22, while the opponent flew out of the tournament.

For comparison, after an hour, Berdyev changed all the players except goalkeeper Nikolai Zabolotny, while Ivic made only five castlings, and two of them were forced.

However, his players did not look tired.

By the way, the Serb released eight legionnaires in the starting lineup, which looked unusual for a team that was left almost without them in the spring.

Including newcomer Kadi Borges and Junior Alonso, who moved to the club back in 2022, were at the base.

To some extent, the Paraguayan can also be called a rookie, since he spent the last year on loan at Atlético Mineiro and did not have time to make his debut for the Russian team.

Both made the most favorable impression.

The Brazilian took the place of the injured Eduard Spertsyan in the center of the field and skillfully managed the team's game, as if he had been playing for them for a long time.

He often moved to the left flank, creating an overload along with Christian Ramirez, and regularly went down to help his partners.

The defender, on the other hand, acted in cold blood, emerged victorious from most martial arts and started attacks great.

Both deservedly became co-authors of the only goal in the 24th minute.

Borges served from a set piece.

Alonso, taking advantage of a successful rebound in the penalty area, fired heavily into the near corner.

Zabolotny coped with the blow, but was powerless when Cayo Pantalean finished off the ball from close range.

However, it cannot be said that Sochi was significantly inferior to the opponent.

Having missed, Berdyev's wards seized the initiative and began to carry out one sharp attack after another.

Georgy Melkadze was especially good in their composition, who famously clung to the ball and found free zones in someone else's penalty area.

But Matvey Safonov turned out to be impenetrable that evening.

If in the autumn he regularly made inexplicable blots, then in the UAE he reminded himself of a better model.

Only Melkadze delivered three most dangerous shots on target, but the goalkeeper of the Russian national team coped with everyone.

Once again, he rescued his partners shortly before the final whistle, when Nikita Burmistrov seemed to hit for sure, in opposition to him.

Safonov took an ideal position on the line and did not allow the ball to be in the net.

In the end, Sochi remained in the minority.

Artyom Meshchaninov in the central circle flew into Borges's ankle with spikes, disrupting a quick counterattack.

Judge Sergey Ivanov at first managed with a mustard plaster.

But the opponents took advantage of the right to invite the arbitrator to the TV screen, and after watching, he changed his mind.

But the newcomer of Krasnodar, unfortunately, was injured.

By the way, another legionnaire of the Bulls Ramirez was injured in the first half.

This is a serious fly in the ointment for the winner.