Ignashevich surprised Spartak. But against such Promes and Bongonda there is little courage
Mikhail Rozhdestvensky Jul 31, 2023, 10:46 PM MSK Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
“Baltika” came to Moscow and did not sit on the defensive. And she still didn’t have glasses.
Baltika continues to get used to the new life. After a failure in Sochi at the beginning of the RPL season, Sergei Ignashevich’s team came to Moscow to Spartak. And he even managed to surprise the opponent to some extent.
One of the main intrigues before the match was the game of Baltika. From an outsider coming to visit Spartak, you expect a deep defense and bet on rare counterattacks. But the team of Sergei Ignashevich came up with the opposite plan. From the first seconds, Baltika activated a very high pressure that, when felt, surprised the rival.
Baltika’s first goal chance also presented itself: in the 6th minute, the guests had a cross from the right wing, and Gedeon Guzina, who scored a lot in the First Division last season, lacked a few centimeters to break through to goal almost point . -white. True, right after that, Baltika almost conceded: Alexander Sobolev threw Theo Bongond one on one from midfield, but he himself did not hit and was greedy with a pass to Quincy Promes.
Bongonda’s timing only underscored the downsides of Baltika’s risk-taking style. Ignashevich’s team played high, leaving too much space behind. For Spartak, such conditions are a real gift, and the rojiblancos actively used the spaces between the lines.
Towards the middle of the first half, the territorial advantage of “Spartak” became absolute, but with the moments it got worse. And then Guillermo Abascal’s team had new problems: there was more marriage, specifically in transfers. Nail Umyarov especially sank, and the marked passes to move around the flanks stopped passing.
And yet, Spartak managed to score before the break. Baltika’s high line of defense helped again – the defenders were in a hurry to return during Promes’ run and did not have time to sit down deep enough when they released Bongond. Theo hit his head without resistance and corrected a missed moment early in the match.
Apparently, the first half only convinced Ignashevich that there was no point in going on the defensive, and after the break Baltika quickly seized the initiative. He was tight with obvious moments, but it’s hard not to praise the guests for his audacious play.
Spartak – Baltika
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, Championship
But Spartak came out completely unarmed in the second half. Abascal’s team almost forgot about sharp attacks, almost all players began to make mistakes, and there was no particular reliability from behind, rather the opponent lacked the class to punish misses.
Spartak’s hard-to-explain slump was reduced thanks to a couple of substitutions, and towards the end of the match, when Baltika had nothing to lose, they had to keep an eye on the defense instead of bulking up. One of Abakal’s substitutions finally worked: Mikhail Ignatov caught the “full” Alexander Putsko on the right flank and shot perfectly to the far post, where Promes ran. 2:0!
Baltika’s goal also occurred. And it happened at the moment when Spartak finally relaxed and believed in victory. Ignashevich worked substitution: Maxim Kuzmin hung on a free kick and Angelo Henríquez finished off his head clearly below the far post. A historic goal, because the first in the RPL for Baltika since October 1998.
There was very little time left for Baltika, and the miracle did not happen. Although it should be noted that Ignashevich’s team arranged an attempt to increase the volume, and Spartak defended not without nerves.
Spartak, as in the first round, left a mixed impression. Although at the start of the season, given the favorable calendar, the most important thing is to score points, which Abascal’s team has achieved so far. Baltika showed courage. In matches against lesser opponents, this approach is more likely to lead to success. Although against the background of the struggle for the survival of the inhabitants of Kaliningrad it is still alarming.
Spartak wins not only in the RPL, but also in the Cup:
Spertsyan framed Krasnodar in the match for the Russian Cup. And Bongonda is already scoring for Spartak!
