If the opponent is Spartak: last week in Russian football was marked by a derby of two capitals

When in 1995, after a two-year absence, Zenit returned to the Major League under the leadership of Pavel Sadyrin, when asked about plans for the season, the coach answered: “Access to the elite division and defeat Spartak.” Sadyrin kept his word: Zenit defeated the then leader of Russian football on his field. Since then, priorities have changed. Today, Zenit is already the undisputed leader of the RPL in terms of budget, composition and victories in the last national championships, and already the head coaches of the red-and-whites, who change like in a kaleidoscope before the start of the season, voicing plans, say: “Win ​​medals and beat” Zenith””.

Cup rehearsal

To “warm up” before the derby of the two capitals, Spartak beat the Samara Krylya Sovetov in the Russian Cup, and Zenit beat the Voronezh Fakel. The cup tournament is being held this season according to a new system. First, 16 RPL clubs play among themselves in four groups. Two winners advance to the playoffs. Only the third team continues to fight, and with rivals from the lower divisions. In the so-called path of regions, no less than the finalist of the tournament is determined. At the same time, Zenit and Spartak, who are in the same group of the cup tournament, can also meet in the semi-finals.

Vladislav Radimov severely criticized the proposed format. He believes that many RPL teams will strive to take third places in the group, from which it is easier to get to the final. And in one match, anything can happen. Andrey Arshavin is less categorical.

“It is clear that the new format of the Russian Cup is due to the ban of our clubs in European competition,” he stressed. – It seems to me that a group tournament with the participation of 16 RPL clubs and 16 representatives of the lower divisions would be more logical. This would exactly repeat the format of the Champions League group stage. Under the current regulations, some RPL clubs will meet each other four times per season. Moreover, it is far from a fact that the coaches will put up the main teams in the cup tournament. In the regions, there would be a full house at matches involving teams from the elite division. This would help popularize football in Russia.”

Another subtle point: in what lineups the RPL clubs will play in the Russian Cup. After the championship match against Torpedo, the correspondent of MK in St. Petersburg asked the head coach of Zenit Sergei Semak why he did not put up those players who lack playing practice against outsiders.

“From next week, we will have to play not only on weekends, but also in the middle of the week,” Semak replied. “Game practice is enough for everyone.”

Against the Torch, only Douglas Santos came out of the base playing in the championship. Yes, and he was replaced at half-time. Everyone got practice, including the Brazilian goalkeeper with the Russian name Ivan, who made his debut for Zenit. It didn’t hurt to beat Fakel. Only Semak has two squads in his clip, and his colleagues from the RPL do not have the opportunity for such a wide rotation. However, the main fighters of Zenit retained their strength and emotions at Spartak, and this is the main result of the cup rehearsal.

Legends want to be legends

Two days before the match of the leaders of the RPL, a match of legends of the two most popular clubs in Russia was held at the Spartak stadium. It was a rematch. Before the game for the Super Cup at the Gazprom Arena, the legends of Zenit and Spartak met at Petrovsky. Usually, veteran matches are held in a warm friendly atmosphere, end in a draw, and the main thing in them is the third half, when the fighters remember the past days.

There was nothing like that at the match of legends at Petrovsky. Played in earnest in front of 11,000 spectators, with live TV coverage and bookmaker sponsorship. By the standards of the match of legends, Zenit put up a youth squad with a “golden” bunch of Arshavin – Kerzhakov in the attack, as well as with Anatoly Tymoshchuk scurrying from his penalty area to someone else’s. Older Spartacists lost – 0:2 and demanded revenge.

He took place. The Spartacists found younger legends, and the defense, as in the best years, was cemented by Viktor Savelyevich Onopko. The head coach of Rostov Valery Karpin himself could not help the red-whites. We had to prepare our team for the next match of the championship of Russia. But the head coach of the Rostovites released his assistant Onopko. Like Semak, who has enough assistants for a couple of RPL teams, he let Timoshchuk and Anyukov go.

“It’s hard for me to participate in such matches,” Arshavin, one of the heroes of the first game of legends, admitted. – Although, together with Bystrov, he was seriously preparing for the duel with Spartak in Moscow. Trained with guys born in 2006. Unfortunately, Bystrov lost his speed and did not survive training with the Zenit reserve.

For the Moscow game, Zenit strengthened its squad with the legendary Igor Denisov, who at 38 and in many RPL clubs will not spoil the weather. Despite problems with logistics, Danny and Alejandro Dominguez came to play for their team. Several legends could well play in half for Spartak and Zenit, but Vladimir Bystrov, Pavel Pogrebnyak, and Roman Shirokov preferred blue-white-blue colors.

The young legends of Spartak fulfilled the task assigned to them. The rematch ended with the victory of the red-whites – 2:1. And immediately began talking about how to hold a third match. Perhaps on a neutral field. Perhaps even as part of a new tournament for veteran teams.

Even last season, Andrey Yeshchenko, who played for the starting team, said with joy that such matches should be made regular, involving veterans of other Moscow clubs in them. Arshavin is of a different opinion.

“I don’t know if this format has any prospects,” he told St. Petersburg journalists. Everything will depend on the interest of the audience. I would like two matches with Spartak to be the last for me.

The organizers of the Moscow match did their best to keep the interest of the audience from going wild. Only 15,000 tickets were put on sale. The reason is on the surface: active Spartak fans gathered to attend the match of legends, who ignore the RPL championship because of Fan ID. Can you imagine what an embarrassment it would be if more people came to Tikhonov and Tymoshchuk than to Promes and Malcolm?

Zenit removed all questions

“Warming up” before the derby of the two capitals turned out to be notable. To the great joy of the Spartak fans and the leaders of domestic football, the red and white are now in order. The defeat in the Super Cup has long been forgotten, and the new coach of Muscovites, 33-year-old Spaniard Guilherme Abascal, against whom Semak looks like an age master, put the team in a very attractive game. Until the fifth round, Spartak were in the lead, ahead of Zenit. Many did not even consider St. Petersburg to be the favorites of the current derby between the two capitals.

The hosts even opened the scoring in the first half, when Alexander Sobolev skillfully played in someone else’s penalty area. He managed to win a personal duel against Dejan Lovren. However, the captain of “Zenith” was rehabilitated at the beginning of the second half. Arriving in someone else’s penalty area for the draw of the “standard”, the Croatian defender equalized the score. Andrey Mostovoy scored the winning goal. About who was the master on the field, statistics are best evidenced. “Zenith” inflicted 22 shots on goal, and “Spartak” only eight.

“The advantage of Zenit was unconditional,” commented the results of the derby between the two capitals in an interview with the correspondent of MK in St. Petersburg, an authoritative football expert Alexei Strepetov. — Even in the first half, St. Petersburg had to score two or three goals. At some points, Spartak was rescued by goalkeeper Alexander Maksimenko, at some points the St. Petersburg team lacked luck. The missed goal practically did not affect the game of the Semak team. The quick goals early in the second half made sense.”

Having won a victory over a principal rival, Zenit continues to lead the standings with a three-point lead over the closest rival. Although, according to Strepetov, Petrograders should not relax. In the pursuit group – CSKA and Dynamo, Krasnodar and Rostov. Yes, and Spartak has not yet said the last word, despite the defeat in the derby of the two capitals.