Spartak tore apart the weakened CSKA. After Akinfeev’s grave mistake

The upcoming derby within the postponed 21st round of the MIR RPL traditionally causes increased excitement. Both teams are not fighting for the title this season, but this does not make the game any less interesting.

CSKA is approaching the match with critical losses in its lineup due to the disqualifications of three main players – Faizullaev, Roshi and Diveev. A similar situation arose in the fall of 2016, and then everything ended as sadly as possible for the “red-blues”.

Legendary forecast

Spartak started that season with Dmitry Alenichev, who gave up his place to Massimo Carrera after the first round. The Italian was long considered a temporary worker, but in the end Fedun decided to leave the debutant coach as head coach on a permanent basis. Now Vladimir Sliskovich is in a similar situation, whose further fate largely depends on the outcome of the derby.

By the 12th round of the 2016/17 season, Carrera managed to make Spartak fans fall in love with him. The results spoke for Massimo – the team was in first place, ahead of Lucescu’s Zenit in additional indicators. Carrera was also adored for the passion he brought after his much less emotional predecessor. The Italian’s expression added new colors to the Moscow derby.

CSKA was pretty stormy that fall. Leonid Slutsky has worked for the team for seven years, took third gold in the spring, and in the summer received a portion of negativity at the disastrous Euro for the Russian team. It was clear that the coach was mentally exhausted, and this was reflected in the team’s performance. The results before the meeting with Spartak, which had gained momentum, were sad: only one victory in four championship matches, and a few days after the meeting with the “red-whites”, Slutsky’s team faced another defeat from Monaco (0:3) in the Champions League .

The derby added problems in the form of the loss of three key players. In October, midfield leader Roman Eremenko set the team up – he was suspended and subsequently disqualified for using cocaine. Earlier, Alan Dzagoev was out for several months due to another injury. Without two main creatives, CSKA’s chances were already illusory, and then, as luck would have it, Bibras Natkho was also injured in the previous game with Loko. The Israeli was eventually included in the application, but could not bring any real benefit to the team.

Spartak also had enough problems with its lineup: until recently it was unclear whether Glushakov, Promes and Ze Luis would take the field. As a result, the team doctors managed to get everyone back on their feet and earned themselves a bonus. It was this trio that became the main problem for CSKA.

Before the game, the Match TV crew met a Spartak fan who gave the legendary forecast: “3:1 – no chance! Arguments? Firstly, Antoshka has recovered. Glushakov is a funeral.” The prediction came true completely and became a meme for many years.

Spartak was better on all counts

Eight years ago, crowded stands were a mandatory part of the Moscow derby. Now all that remains is nostalgia for such a picture. The red-white fans at home on October 29, 2016 created an atmosphere that would be the envy of the hottest stadiums in Greece and Turkey. This was the era of the banner war: before the match, the Spartak fan stand was marked by an eerie performance, which in general became a clear reflection of what was happening on the field.

In addition to the support of their native stands, too many factors spoke in favor of the hosts of the then Otkritie Arena. Carrera’s team made an excellent progress in the championship, all the leaders managed to return to the team, but the opponent, on the contrary, faced serious personnel problems. The attack line, consisting of Ionov, Milanov, Tosic and Lacina Traore, who was pushed forward, raised the most questions.

Now the only remaining players from both teams are Roman Zobnin for Spartak and Igor Akinfeev for CSKA. Red-White forward Quincy Promes is in the UAE and will not be able to take the field. Both coaches chose similar formations with a 4-2-3-1 formation.

“Spartacus”: Rebrov – Kombarov, Taski, Kutepov, Eshchenko – Fernando, Glushakov – Zobnin, Ananidze (Romulo, 87), Promes (Melgarejo, 90) – Ze Luis

CSKA: Akinfeev – Shchennikov, Ignashevich, V. Berezutsky, Fernandez – Wernbloom, Golovin – Ionov, Milanov (Natho, 56), Tosic – Traore (Strandberg, 73)

The army team, who were the reigning champions at that time, calmly coped with Spartak’s positional attacks at the beginning of the game. The hosts could not extract anything significant from their advantage in possession of the ball. Help for the “red-whites” came from unexpectedly: after Glushakov’s long-range strike, which could hardly be called dangerous, Akinfeev somehow turned out poorly and let the ball go under him. At this moment, Korean flashbacks probably flashed through Igor’s head.

Spartak, having taken the lead, chose to play second. The army team, without its main creative team, did not pose any particular threat to Rebrov’s goal. The efforts of 20-year-old Golovin were clearly not enough for this, and no one provided adequate support to the rising star. At the end of the half, the plot almost turned around when Traore went one-on-one with goalkeeper, but the lanky forward failed to beat the goalkeeper.

The denouement came at the end of the second half, when the two main heroes of the match, Glushakov and Ze Luis, created another goal. The Spartak captain, with a subtle pass behind his back to Berezutsky and Ignashevich, brought the striker into an ideal position to strike. Swede Strandberg, who came on as a substitute, revived the intrigue, but not for long. The same Ze Luis, with an elegant movement, “sent Berezutsky to the buffet” and for the third time in the match forced Akinfeev to take the ball out of the net.

For Spartak, that victory was important for several reasons. For the first time, the “red-whites” managed to beat CSKA at their new stadium and take revenge for the defeat in the debut derby at the Otkritie Arena (0:4) in May 2015. Plus, the Spartak team convincingly beat not just their principal rival, but the current champion, which helped Carrera’s team believe in their own capabilities.

“The championship is incredibly difficult to win, and we will try to fight to the end, to get to where our strength allows us. After the match, I thanked the guys and said that they should be proud of what they do. I see in them a desire to achieve something significant and I’m proud to coach them,” a happy Carrera noted after the game.

The Italian managed to maintain a unique atmosphere in the team throughout the season, which ended with an early championship. And “Spartak” with Carrera marked a rare and incredibly important achievement for fans, beating CSKA twice in the course of one season.

Watch the live broadcast of the match CSKA – Spartak on Thursday from 19:30 (Moscow time) on the Match TV channel, websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.