Lokomotiv and CSKA scored six goals between them and shared points in the Moscow derby
The 24th round of the Russian Premier League (RPL) has come to an end. “Vedomosti” Game” summarizes its principal results.
Tour confrontation. Zenit won in Krasnodar and went four points ahead
The championship leaders met in Krasnodar. The hosts approached the match in the role of catching up, trailing Zenit by one point. In case of victory, Murad Musaev’s team could seize the lead and, based on the results of the first half, had a good chance of success. Krasnodar’s Uruguayan defender Lucas Olasa opened the scoring with a targeted strike in the 16th minute, and the hosts managed to maintain a minimal advantage by the break.
In the second half, Zenit noticeably increased its attack and almost immediately equalized the score – turning 180 degrees in the opponent’s penalty area, Colombian forward Mateo Casierra hit the far corner of Krasnodar goalkeeper Matvey Safonov with a beautiful dribbling shot in the 47th minute.
The victory for Zenit was brought in the 63rd minute by Brazilian midfielder Arthur Guimaraes, who skillfully shot into the same corner to the left of Safonov. Having taken three points in the confrontation with a direct competitor, Zenit increased its advantage in the standings. Sergei Semak’s team scored 47 points, Krasnodar had 43.
“I already said before the game, this is by no means a championship match. We earned only one thing with this game and victory – the right to make one mistake. But it is better not to allow them. Seven more rounds ahead. Our calendar and Krasnodar’s are roughly similar. Therefore, four points is nothing,” the Zenit club website quotes Semak. – And in my practice there was a situation when I played for CSKA – the difference was four points two rounds before the end. We needed a victory, but, unfortunately, we drew twice and lost, missing out on the championship. In two rounds! And here are seven rounds. Well, what a championship, what can we talk about?”
Goal of the round. Locomotive could not win, but Samoshnikov scored beautifully
Locomotive and CSKA met in the Moscow derby at the Russian Railways Arena. In the 65th minute, the hosts led 3:1, but before the end of the game CSKA managed to equalize the score and salvage a draw. The most beautiful goal was scored by Locomotive defender Ilya Samoshnikov, who from about 20 meters arced the ball “by the collar” to the visiting goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev who came out of the gate. “There was disarray between the two focal safeguards, one didn’t accept the other and went to protect. Akinfeev positioned himself one or two steps further than expected. Well, we must give Samoshnikov his due, he saw it and executed it brilliantly,” Match TV expert Andrei Arshavin commented on the episode. The former player of the Russian national team believed that Akinfeev made a “blunder”, but at the same time noted the sighted blow of the Locomotive defender.
“He needed to hit it there and he hit it. Akinfeev played like a newcomer. But we should also note the pass to Samoshnikov from Glushenkov,” added Arshavin.
Resignation of the tour. Spartak fired head coach Abaskal
Moscow “Spartak” traveled to Sochi and the day before suffered a minimal defeat from the team of the same name. The only goal was scored in the 76th minute by the hosts’ Moroccan defender Yahya Attiyat-alla. This was already the eighth loss of the capital team this season. Today, April 14, the management of Spartak announced that the team’s head coach Guillermo Abascal has been dismissed.
“The Spanish specialist has led the first team of Spartak since the summer of 2022. Last season, the red and white won bronze medals in the RPL, finishing third. At the moment, Spartak is sixth in the championship standings. “We thank Guillermo for the work he has done for our club and wish him the best of luck in his future career,” the club said in a statement.
Spartak also reported that Abaskal’s assistant Vladimir Slishkovich will prepare the team for the upcoming game with Zenit in St. Petersburg in the semi-finals of the Russian Cup as part of the RPL Path. The match will take place on April 17; in the first game in Moscow, the reigning champion of Russia won 2:1.
Earlier it was reported that Abascal was going to be fired on April 9 at a meeting of the Spartak board of directors, but the Spaniard’s credit of confidence was extended until the game with Sochi.
Hero of the tour. Fernandez scored a hat-trick in Grozny
In his seventh match for Baltika, Brazilian newcomer Alex Fernandez opened the scoring in the RPL. The right winger, who moved to Kaliningrad at the end of February from the Bulgarian club Cherno More, became the hero of Baltika’s major victory in Grozny. Fernandez scored three times, and the guests inflicted a real rout on Akhmat – 7:1.
The outcome of the meeting was predetermined already in the first half – by the 10th minute the guests were leading by three goals, and in the 41st minute Fernandez scored his second goal and the teams went to the break with the score 5:0 in favor of Baltika. The Brazilian scored a hat-trick in the 84th minute, after which he was replaced.
Fernandez was born on June 21, 2002, and is a graduate of the Portuguesa Santista club. At home he played for the youth teams of Atlético Mineiro and Santos, from where he moved to Cherno More in July 2022. In addition to his main position on the right side of the attack, he can also cover the positions of a central striker and an attacking midfielder. According to Transfermarkt, his transfer from Bulgaria cost Baltika 850,000
