Akinfeev’s save, Chavez’s masterpiece, the judge’s announcement in Cherkizovo, the Spartak fiasco at Luzhniki: what do you remember about the 20th round of the RPL

Zenit's rise to first place

Before the resumption of the season, fans wondered how long Krasnodar would be able to stay at the top.

However, it seems that he himself decided to let Zenit go ahead.

Otherwise, it is difficult to explain the misfires of the southerners.

First, they missed the victory over Rubin in the end, and then lost to Rostov.

In turn, in the previous round, the St. Petersburg team lost amicably with Spartak, but had no right to lose points in the confrontation with Ural, from which they suffered only one defeat in history.

As a result, the Ekaterinburg team, with the support of the home stands, kept their goal intact for almost 40 minutes.

Ilya Pomazun managed to break through only thanks to a successful set piece.

Moreover, Arthur scored his debut assist in the national team.

And his compatriot Douglas dos Santos distinguished himself.

After the break, it was time for the Russians.

Andrei Mostovoy first beautifully crossed the goalkeeper, and then made such a pass on Matteo Cassierra that the Colombian had to miss from a meter away.

This goal was the foreign player’s 15th in the current RPL season, and he is confidently leading the scorers’ race.

Once again, Ivan Sergeev’s joker worked.

Moreover, having scored his tenth goal after coming on as a substitute, he turned out to be the club's most productive reserve player in the 21st century.

The only fly in the ointment for the guests was Eric Bikfalvi's prestige goal.

However, this is unlikely to have greatly consoled Viktor Goncharenko’s charges, because they suffered defeats in both matches of the national championship in 2024.

And in the last nine they scored only three points and dropped into the relegation zone.

Dynamo's championship ambitions

Dynamo also took advantage of their competitors’ misfires, winning two victories in a row in the championship and closing the gap with Zenit and Krasnodar.

So far, it seems that the Muscovites are seriously involved in the fight for the title and have every chance of winning their first gold medals in 38 years.

It is especially important that in the reporting round the blue and white put the squeeze on Akhmat in an extremely difficult match.

The final score should not be misleading, since the Grozny team did not concede to the opponent in any way and created no less chances.

However, they did not have enough luck, and several times their partners were rescued by Igor Leshchuk, who recorded his fifth “cracker” in the current RPL draw.

In addition, the team from the Chechen Republic was let down by Evgeniy Kharin, who received two yellow cards in six minutes shortly before the break.

The midfielder was given the first yellow card for an argument with an assistant referee, and the second for simulation.

The home leaders, on the other hand, made the difference.

In the 39th minute, Luis Chavez delivered a stunning curling shot from outside the penalty area, which Georgi Shelia was unable to parry.

And after an hour, Konstantin Tyukavin doubled the lead.

Before that, he also assisted the Mexican.

The Russian’s performance is especially pleasing, because back in the summer-autumn he could not score for more than two months.

But Marcel Lička stubbornly continued to include him in the lineup.

The trust was justified.

In October, the forward finally achieved a streak of eight consecutive matches with points in the national championship, setting a new club record.

Moreover, he ranks second in the tournament in terms of the “goal + pass” system (9 + 6), and is in the lead along with Quincy Promes in the list of best assists.

Akinfeev's saved penalty

It was extremely important for another capital giant, CSKA, to win after an offensive draw with Orenburg.

If you believe the statistics of head-to-head confrontations with Krylia Sovetov, his chances of success were initially good.

In the last nine matches, the army team won seven times with only two draws.

The sign also worked on March 8th.

In Samara, Willian Rocha unexpectedly came to the fore.

And the point is his brilliant play on set pieces in front of the opponent’s goal.

Already in the third minute, he opened the scoring, taking advantage of Victor Davila's serve.

In the second half the situation repeated itself.

Thus, the Brazilian not only scored his debut double in his career, but also became the first central defender on the red-blue roster after Sergei Ignashevich to score twice in an RPL match.

And even then, the legend managed to do it back in 2011.

It is also necessary to note Igor Akinfeev.

Many reproached him for missing a goal from Matias Perez a week earlier.

And the veteran hit back at his critics by saving a penalty from Franco Orozco.

Moreover, the bronze medalist of the European Championship, as in the series with the Spanish national team at the 2018 World Cup, saved the kick.

Along the way, he established several statistical achievements at once.

He played his 250th clean sheet in the RPL, crossed the 50 thousand minutes mark in the league and updated the record for the number of penalty kicks saved (19).

But the most curious thing is how his story circled with his debut match in the national championship in Samara in 2003.

Then Andrei Karyaka failed to shoot the young man from the point, and 21 years later - Orozco.

“Thriller match” between Lokomotiv and Sochi

But Lokomotiv lost points in the second round in a row, ending in a draw with Sochi.

But the fans had fun, as the teams showed brilliant football with a lot of chances and shots.

The exchange of goals in the opening set the tone for the confrontation.

Having received a place in the start of the railway workers in the RPL for the first time since August, Rifat Zhemaletdinov opened the scoring in the second minute.

Literally in the response attack, the southerners restored their balance when Artur Yusupov blocked Martin Kramaric's cross from the front.

Shortly before the break, Maxim Glushenkov created a masterpiece.

Having received a pass from Nair Tiknizyan, the striker sent it into the near corner from the penalty line.

But the guests bounced back immediately after the break.

This time the set piece helped them.

The same Kramaric delivered a neat cross from the corner, and Marcelo Alves shot accurately, jumping over Gerzino Niamsi.

The match did not go without deletions, and referee Sergei Cheban kicked two players off the field at once.

In the episode with the second yellow card for Artem Karpukas, Kramaric again played usefully, earning himself a foul.

And then a historic event took place: Sergio Cordova knocked down Maxim Nenakhov near the penalty area, and the referee treated it with a mustard plaster.

However, aides suggested he watch the replay.

After this, Cheban announced over the loudspeaker that the offender had been removed.

In the end, the red-greens almost snatched victory in their signature style, when substitute Sergei Pinyaev finished the ball on target from close range.

But the referee team, again resorting to VAR, ruled that the winger had played with his hand.

Inconvenient coach for Spartak

And Spartak sensationally lost to Fakel.

Due to problems with the lawn at the Lukoil Arena, the meeting was moved to the once native Luzhniki for Muscovites.

The stadium hosted the red and white for the first time in almost 11 years, and fans indulged in nostalgia were expecting a positive outcome.

And on the club’s official website they even remembered the team’s loudest defeats at the BSA.

In fact, she played an extremely unimpressive match and deservedly lost.

Although everything could have turned out differently if Srdjan Babic had hit the target rather than the crossbar in the opening after the corner was delivered.

The hosts continued to attack, but the opponents calmly defended and almost did not allow Alexander Belenov to be disturbed.

But Guillermo Abascal's team made two gross mistakes in their penalty area.

In the first half, Christopher Martins Pereira, having lost sight of Ilnur Alshin, stepped on his ankle.

Referee Artyom Lyubimov did not record a foul, but after studying the replay, he announced a penalty kick over the speakerphone.

Evgeniy Markov confidently implemented it.

And after an hour, Danil Prutsev, trying to interrupt Ruslan Magal's cross, deflected the shot into his own goal.

Thus, the Voronezh team beat Spartak for the second time this RPL season and again confirmed the nickname “impudents”.

They also took points from Dynamo (twice), CSKA and Krasnodar.

And Sergei Tashuev can be called one of the most inconvenient mentors for the red and white.

Surprisingly, in his entire career he lost to them only once.

In 2012, Salyut from the First League, led by him, failed to cope with the grandees in the Russian Cup.

In the national championship, his teams won three victories with the same number of peaceful outcomes.