The press service of the “red-white” on the eve of this meeting recalled not only the fact that the teams in the Russian Cup have not met in 12 years, but also the curious details of the first confrontation. It turns out that it took place exactly 14 years ago, on July 15, 2009, as part of the 1/16 final of the tournament at the Kuban Stadium in the presence of 16 thousand spectators. Then the “bulls” were only one year old and had just reached the first league. The more experienced guests, in which 16-year-old Jano Ananidze scored a magnificent goal, won with a score of 2:1.
Since then, not only has a lot of water flowed into the local Kuban River, but the “bulls” have matured, erected their own fantastic arena, and are now fighting for major national trophies.
Today’s match in Group D of the tournament seems to be very interesting due to the brilliant attacking game shown by the rivals in the first round of the LPR (with Dynamo and Orenburg), as well as the fact that, as we have already said, all the head-to-head clashes between these teams have recently been unusually emotional (one of the players of the “bulls” just today called “Spartak” even “the worst rival of Krasnodar”), with an abundance of goals and, necessarily, serious errors on the part of the referees, which are then discussed for a long time. It is no coincidence, probably, that Alexei Sukhoi, one of the most experienced in our football, has been appointed chief referee of this match.
Hosts coach Vladimir Ivic and his Moscow counterpart Guillermo Abascal, as expected, resorted to serious rotation. In the starting line-up of “Spartak” compared to the national championship match with “Orenburg” came out five new players: this is the central defender and captain Georgy Dzhikiya, who returned after a long treatment of injuries, another defensive player Nikita Chernov, midfielders Nail Umyarov and Mikhail Ignatov, as well as striker Keita Balde. Note that nine Russians and only two legionnaires (Balde and Quincy Promes) were in the field at a time.
And seven (!) new players appeared at once in the southerners: goalkeeper Stanislav Agkatsev, defender Alexander Ektov, who moved from Orenburg in the off-season, young central defender Georgy Harutyunyan, midfielders Mikhailo Banyats and Kevin Lenini, forwards Olakunle Olusegun and Moses. It is curious that four pupils from the club’s Youth Academy (Agkatsev, full-back Sergey Volkov, Spertsyan and Harutyunyan) were in the core, but the latter two have already played for the Armenian national team.
In the incredible heat (during the day in the capital of the southern region, the temperature reached a record plus forty degrees, and in the evening the thermometer dropped only slightly), the teams, however, started more than vigorously, especially the hosts: Ilzat Akhmetov almost from the right did not go to the attacking position, and Banyats charged from a distance above the goal. In response, the Spartak team took two corner kicks, and Promes scored a cross from the left towards the goalkeeper.
After that, the actions due to the constant defect in the passes on both sides continued for a long time in the middle of the field. True, until the moment when the red-and-whites managed a dagger attack on the left flank. Daniil Khlusevich found Roman Zobnin in the penalty area, who pushed the defender back, moved a little forward and sent the ball into the far bottom corner, 0:1, minute 21. Thus, Hlusevic, after a double in the last game, has now also scored an assist.
Then Ignatov shot from 20 meters in the direction to the left of Agkatsev “nine”, but the goalkeeper managed to reach the ball in a jump.
The “bulls” not only did not succeed in attacking, but remained in the minority. It was their captain and leader Spertsyan who hit Anton Zinkovsky’s ankle with shots near midfield in the 44th minute, received a red card and was sent off the field.
However, after making a couple of substitutions, the hosts went ahead after the break, staging a couple of attempts to break into someone else’s penalty area and forcing Ignatov, who stopped Olusegun’s passage with his hands, to get a “mustard plaster”.
In the subsequent traditional game for the confrontation of these teams on a collision course, of course, the Spartacists acting in the majority began simply to break the hosts’ defense with their combinations.is. Then, Theo Bongonda, who had just entered the field, made a dangerous shot from outside the penalty area a couple of times, Promes hit the goalkeeper from the goalkeeper’s corner, and Chernov’s header from a few meters Ankatsev took the ball out of the bottom corner.
The continuous pressure of the visitors allowed them to double their lead in the 67th minute: after a quick combination on the left flank and a series of rebounds, Bongonda from the center of the penalty area crashed into the goalkeeper’s right corner – 0: 2. This is the Congolese newcomer’s first goal for Spartak.
The Bulls, in turn, still created a couple of good chances near the gates of the capital club, but it was difficult to call them goals. And yet, in the time already added, Cadi closed the pass to EKtova on the left and scored a goal back – 1:2, 90 + 5 minutes. And in the final seconds, John Cordoba didn’t equalize at all, breaking his head over the crossbar.
Thus, in Group D of the LPR on the way to the Russian Cup, Spartak leads with three points. In second place is “Pari NN” (2), in third place, “Dynamo” (1), and “Krasnodar” has not yet scored points.
