The match between CSKA and Rostov was supposed to be the key in the fight for silver and bronze in the upcoming season of the Russian Premier League. But few people would have thought that nothing would depend on the whistle for a break from side play in Samara, where another contender for a top-three spot was visiting. Before the match, Kirill Nababkin was presented with a commemorative jersey, thus marking his 300th match in the colors of the army team. The mood on both sides was more than fighting, but the intrigue in this meeting lasted for less than half.
rain and cold shower
The game began to the accompaniment of quite palpable Muscovite rain. But the scare experienced during the first part by the nearly four hundred Rostov fans who arrived in the capital was not caused by the vagaries of the weather.
It all started with a mistake by Sergei Pesyakov, who passed the pass to Daniil Utkin so clumsily that Jesús Medina could only take advantage of the gift. What he did with pleasure, bringing the stands to ecstasy: 1: 0!
Besides. Selyava stepped on Chalov’s foot in his own penalty area and Pavel Kukuyan pointed to the spot after video review. Fedor himself went to take the penalty, leaving no chance for the goalkeeper.
Photo source: RIA Novosti
And very soon the account became large. Willian Rocha closed Oblyakov’s serve and practically killed the intrigue in the fight for silver long before the end of the match. “Rostov” in this situation, regardless of the outcome of the meeting in Samara, remained out of the top three.
CSKA kept strutting. Fedor Chalov, having missed one good moment, made the most of the next one, and the VEB Arena scoreboard lit up completely indecently for a 4:0 medal match in favor of the hosts.
Only after that the game calmed down a bit. Rostov tried to recover without success, and the army team did not force things, although probably considering that they still had a task left in this match.
knock out twenty
After such a first half, the intrigue in the medal race actually died. Spartak in Samara could already play for fun; in any case, he finished the season with medals, albeit with bronze. But CSKA still had to help Fedor Chalov reach the grandmaster mark of twenty goals in the current championship: he had to score once more. Fedor already had a brilliant season, upgrading his personal performance record several times, but a beautiful number in Chalov’s final stats would be a real cherry on a silver cake.
Photo source: RIA Novosti
Instead, the local team preferred to cede the initiative to the opponent, as if they feared unnecessary injuries in a game in which the main task was already resolved. In few counterattacks, the partners tried to find Fedor with a pass, but it was very difficult to arm themselves for another scoring combination when the outcome of the match was already clear. Chalov himself understood everything, and went to a replacement without the slightest trace of disgust on his face.
When there’s nothing left to share
After that, the teams only had to finish the game until the final whistle. The Rostovites continued to attack Akinfeev’s gates without much enthusiasm, and still managed to score. Chernov left the CSKA goalkeeper without another “cracker”. But this is the case when the goalkeeper is practically not offended, and the scorer has nothing to be especially happy about, although Evgeny diligently tried to portray emotions.
Photo source: FC Rostov
4:1 – CSKA, having brilliantly passed the first half of the key match, becomes the second, Rostov remains out of the trio of medals. One thing is clear: to try to compete with Zenit next season, both must change a lot, a lot.
RPL
round 30
CSKA (Moscow) – Rostov (Rostov-on-Don) – 4:1 (4:0)
Goals: Medina, 9. Chalov, 17 (from the penalty spot). Rosha, 25. Chalov, 33 – Chernov, 78.
CSKA: Akinfeev, Nababkin (Gaich, 86), Diveev, Moizes, Rocha, Zdelar, Kuchaev (Méndez, 46), Oblyakov, Zainutdinov (Schennikov, 75), Medina (Carrascal, 63), Chalov (Zabolotny, 63).
Rostov: Pesyakov, Silyanov, Osipenko, Chernov, Terentiev (Melekhin, 46), Utkin (Prokhin, 75), Bayramyan (Komarov, 46), Selyava (Mironov, 27), Shchetinin, Tugarev, Golenkov (Poloz, 61).
Warnings: Selyava, 16. Silyanov, 89.
Referee: Pavel Kukuyan (Sochi).
