Dynamo’s historic victory – Moskovskaya Pravda

The first victory in 14 years of blue and white over red and white at home, a full house at the Lev Yashin Arena, Valery Syutkin as a warm-up act, Lev Leshchenko, Yuri Semin and Mikhail Gershkovich in the stands, Alexander Ovechkin with a young Dynamo player the first success on the ball, for Andrey Smetanin signing autographs and hitting the gong – this is the result of the 160th confrontation between Dynamo and Spartak.

RPL. 6th round. Lev Yashin Stadium. Dynamo 1:0 Spartak. Goal: Tyukavin, 27.

The tour match met the expectations of both specialists and fans. The game kept in suspense, the players practiced in the green rectangle, the coaches on the touchlines, the fans frantically supported both teams, the VIPs rejoiced like children, and the young spectators received clear confirmation why football is the game of millions.

Both teams (the guests took to the field in T-shirts in support of Victor Moses) never lost at the start of the season. For both coaches, this meeting was the first. Guillermo Abascal did not change the squad (as a rule, they do not change the winning team), and Slavisha Jokanovic was consistent: the audience saw Saba Sazonov and Luka Gagnidze, Arsen Zakharyan was sent to the top three. But Fedor Smolov was not there (he ended up on the podium by decision of the coaching staff), he was replaced by Konstantin Tyukavin. What became decisive in the anniversary confrontation of the oldest Moscow derby.

Dynamo started from the position of the hosts and worked for Zakharyan, Tyukavin and Denis Makarov, throwing the ball into the front line. The already familiar Spartak rhombus, chosen by Abaskal in the people’s team, again brought the red-whites a quantitative advantage in the middle of the field. The guests delivered the ball through the half-flanks, shooting into the penalty area in the direction of Alexander Sobolev and Quincy Promes.

In the 27th minute, as it turned out later, the only scoring event happened: Umyarov simply gave the opponents a victory. Being under pressure, he carelessly rolled the ball back, where Tyukavin turned out to be the quickest of all. The Dynamo striker easily outplayed Alexander Selikhov, who rushed to save the day. The ball mockingly easily found its way into the Spartak net.

And although “Spartak” won the first half on strikes 9-4, but the scoreboard could have been 0:2. This is Roberto Fernandez, jumping out from under Roman Zobnin after Zakharyan’s free-kick, heading the ball into the far post. Red-and-white, for football “happiness”, lacked the last pass, and, perhaps, courage.

Spartak began the second half with attacks, but Dynamo had already adapted to their combinational, but lightweight game. The hosts used low defense, played with the highest density and deep pressure, which caused problems for the guests. Tyukavin and Zakharyan were active, but things did not come to obvious threats. Sochi referee Pavel Kukuyan also decided to “participate” in the game: why Sobolev was not punished for hitting spikes in the face Anton Shunin still does not understand.

Once again, the red-whites were lucky when the referee canceled Sazonov’s goal after a corner kick. Dynamo famously won the horse fight and shot into the near corner, but Moro tried to correct the ball from outside the game, giving the referee a reason to make such a decision. These were the highlights of the second half.

Abascal tried to correct the situation with the help of substitutions. But neither Anton Zinkovsky, nor Shamar Nicholson, nor Nikita Chernov could create anything sensible near the Dynamo gates. But Dynamo could have doubled the score. The same Sazonov almost broke the crossbar when, after a corner kick, with a 10-meter cannon shot, he sent the ball not into the net, but into the upper part of the Selikhov goal frame.

Distinguished on the negative side and soon leaving for Italy Nicola Moro, who managed to get two “yellow plaster” within two minutes. Dynamo extended their unbeaten streak this season, and Spartak, after losing (Dynamo has only one shot on target, the bars and crossbars are not considered hits on target), risks losing the first position in the table. It all depends on Zenith.

“If we didn’t shoot on goal, that’s one story. But we created moments. The opponent closed, it’s their decision. We need to add in accuracy and realization of moments. If a team decides to defend in front of its own goal, then we need to be better ourselves. We must move forward,” Spartak’s coach Abaskal said at the post-match press conference about the game.

“I knew that the game would be interesting, we were opposed by a strong opponent. There were a lot of nerves in the end, Spartak ran to win back, it was not easy for us. I am proud of my team and the work they have done on the field. We were all one,” summed up the Dynamo coach Jokanovic at the post-match press conference.

Vladimir Sabadash.

Photo – Sergey Vinogradov.