Today, September 17, Real Sociedad will play as a visitor against Real Madrid. Our legionnaire Arsen Zakharyan has the opportunity to take the field. It would be great if the 20-year-old Russian scored his first goal for his new club at the Santiago Bernabéu. Which of our players previously stood out in the Spanish Championship and Cup matches with Real Madrid? Now we tell you.
Igor Korneev (1992, Espanyol)
In the match on matchday 10 of the Spanish Championship of the 1992/1993 season, Espanyol played away from home against Real Madrid. Three Russians started in the starting lineup of the Catalan club: Igor Korneev, Dmitry Galyamin and Andrey Mokh (later Dmitry Kuznetsov appeared as a substitute). And it was Korneev who opened the scoring in the match, converting a penalty in the 32nd minute. However, in the end this did not help Espanyol: Real won 3-1.
Igor Korneev (left) at Espanyol
Photo: From the personal archive of Igor Korneev.
Dmitry Radchenko (1993 and 1995, Racing)
On the sixth day of the Spanish Championship of the 1993/1994 season, Racing visited Real Madrid. And Russian striker Dmitry Radchenko opened the scoring in the 39th minute. This goal was his first of the season. But Racing did not maintain the advantage and in the end lost 1:2.
Radchenko also scored against Real Madrid in 1995. Racing then beat the Madrid team 3-1, and Dmitry also assisted his compatriot Dmitry Popov.
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Dmitry Popov (1994 and 1995, Racing)
Popov also surprised Madrid twice. And on both occasions, in the 1994/1995 season. In the game on matchday 6 he scored Racing’s only goal in the game against Real Madrid away from home (1-3). And on matchday 25 the team defeated Madrid in Santander 3-1. Popov scored 1+1 goals+assists, like his compatriot Radchenko.
The complete broadcast of the Spanish Primera match and the best moments are available on Okko.
Oleg Salenko (1995, Valencia)
The Russian striker, who became the top scorer in the 1994 World Cup, surprised Real Madrid in 1995. The draw pitted his Valencia against Madrid in the round of 16 of the Spanish Cup. In the first match in Madrid, Valencia won 2:1 and Salenko scored a double in the 27th and 55th minutes. Valencia also won at home 2:1, but Salenko was no exception. In that tie, the Valencians reached the Cup final, where they lost to Deportivo de La Coruña 1-2.
Vladimir Beschastnykh (1996 and 1998, Racing)
Beschastnykh distinguished himself three times in matches for Real. In 1996, Vladimir scored against Madrid on Matchday 7 of Examples, opening the scoring in the 70th minute. However, he started a real penalty shootout and the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Then Beschastnykh scored against Real Madrid in the match on matchday 29 of the 1997/1998 championship. In the 81st minute of the away match he equalized the score, the match ended with a score of 2-2. Can you guess how the match between Racing and Real Madrid ended on the ninth day of the 1998/1999 season? That’s right, with the score 2:2. And Beschastnykh scored again.
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Valery Karpin (1996, Valencia; 2004, Real Sociedad)
One of the most brilliant Russian legionnaires in Spain scored two goals against Real Madrid. In the 1996/1997 season, Karpin played for Valencia. The team lost to Madrid 2-4 and Valery scored the goal in the ninth minute.
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And in the 2003/2004 season Karpin already played for Real Sociedad. In the previous championship, his club fought with Madrid for gold and took second place, but in the next championship it failed – 15th place. However, we managed to win the head-to-head in San Sebastian with a minimal score. The only goal was scored by Karpin in the 63rd minute. At the same time, the midfielder did not distinguish himself in the matches with Real, being a Celta player.
Valery Karpin (right) against Ronaldo
Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Dmitry Cheryshev (1997, Sporting Gijón)
Dmitry’s son Denis graduated from Real Madrid. But Cheryshev Sr. did not play for Madrid, but scored against them in 1997. In the match of the 36th round of the Spanish Championship, Cheryshev scored in the ninth minute of the away match against Real Madrid. This did not help Sporting win: the Gijón Club lost 1:3. That goal was Cheryshev’s only goal in the matches with Real.
Alejandro Mostovoy (1998, 1999 and 2003, Celta)
The main Russian scorer among foreign players in meetings with Real Madrid. It’s not for nothing that Mostovoy is called the tsar! Alexander scored four times against Madrid in the league. Mostovoy first distinguished himself in meetings with Real Madrid in the 1997/1998 season. On matchday 33 of the Spanish Championship he scored a double and Celta won 2-1. Exactly one year later, on April 11, 1999, Mostovoy left his mark again and helped the Vigo team defeat Real Madrid 5-1.
How Mostovoy deprived Karpin and Khokhlov of gold Examples:
Before Zakharyan, Karpin and Khokhlov played for Sociedad. Mostovoy prevented them from taking the championship.
Madrid had to wait more than four years for the Tsar’s next objective. In May 2003, Mostovoy scored against Real Madrid in an away match, then Celta tied (1-1).
Alexander Mostovoy at Celta
Photo: Firo Photo/Getty Images
Dmitry Khokhlov (2001 and 2002, Real Sociedad)
Khokhlov played for Real Sociedad from 2000 to 2003. In the 2001/2002 season he managed to score against Madrid in both circles. In the match on matchday 17, Sociedad lost to Real Madrid 1:3. Khokhlov opened the scoring in the 38th minute, but this did not help the Basques. But in the second round, in the matchday 36 match, Sociedad defeated Real at home 3-0. Khokhlov scored the second goal of the match, eliminating doubts about the winner.
Dmitri Khokhlov (center)
Photo: Firo Photo/Getty Images
Fedor Smolov (2020, Celtic)
After Karpin’s goal, we had to wait 16 years for Russia’s next goal against Real Madrid! In 2020, Smolov was loaned to Celta for six months. And in 14 games he scored two goals: against Real Madrid and Barcelona. Have a good trip!
In the Matchday 24 match of Examples with Madrid, Fedor opened the scoring at the Santiago Bernabéu. In the seventh minute, he took advantage of a pass from Aspas, went one on one and shot alongside Courtois. Celta ended up drawing with Real Madrid 2:2.
Fedor Smolov at Celta
Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images
“Is it impossible to score a goal against Real Madrid? Why is it impossible? Before me, our compatriots Karpin and Mostovoy scored against Real Madrid. So I continued the tradition they started. Do I plan to score more? I am already preparing to go to the airport, in principle you will be able to fly safely,” Smolov joked after the goal on the television program “Evening Urgant”.
Chronology of Smolov’s performances with Celta:
Real and Barcelona exhaled! Smolov returned to Russia
