Who does not dictate does not win – Newspaper Kommersant No. 172 (7373) of 09/19/2022
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The capital derby “Spartak” – “Lokomotiv” completed the program of the tenth round of the championship of Russia. The red-whites, after two defeats, won an important victory with a score of 1:0 and with 19 points kept their place next to the top three. But the railroad workers with nine points are now 12th.
Against the backdrop of the Dynamo-Zenit match that took place the day before, the Spartak-Lokomotiv derby could hardly be called the main event of the tenth round, but for its participants it was, in a sense, decisive. The red-and-whites, after a promising start in the championship, lost ground and flew out of the top three, having suffered two defeats in a row from the current leaders of the Premier League – Zenit and Rostov. But earlier they lost to Dynamo, and the fourth loss in such a short tournament distance would already be symptomatic.
At the same time, Spartak continues to be pursued by some kind of evil rock. After losing several players to injuries, his rookie Keita Balde, who had just come on as a substitute against Zenit, was suspended for doping control violations. The Senegalese striker was also hit for an incident that occurred during his performance at Cagliari, but the sanctions of the Italian National Anti-Doping Court automatically apply to the Russian championship. Balde is going to challenge his punishment, according to which he was suspended from the competition until December 5, but so far he is not an assistant to Spartak. It’s good that Anton Zinkovsky, Ruslan Litvinov and Shamar Nicholson have returned to the ranks, otherwise it would have been very difficult for the red-and-whites.
Lokomotiv has driven itself into a corner. Already in the course of the tour, Orenburg, which beat Paris Nizhny Novgorod 2-0, moved it from 11th to 12th place. There is practically nowhere to retreat further, as they say – behind Torpedo (Moscow), which occupies the last line. And the victory in the derby, the first for the red-greens in the current championship, could improve not only their standings, but also their mood, especially after two depressing defeats in a row from Akhmat and Fakel. Although they improved their health a little, having recently defeated Krasnodar on penalties in the Russian Cup.
In all cases, Spartak was considered the favorite, ahead of Lokomotiv by seven points and having an additional advantage of its field. And the match began under the dictation of the hosts, who stood out Nicholson, who inflicted two strikes in the first minutes. Paired with Alexander Sobolev and with the support of Quincy Promes, the Jamaican put serious pressure on the defense of the guests. In the middle of the first half, Nicholson tried to score again, but it was too beautiful – in the fall of his head. However, the railwaymen did not look like outsiders, they defended in a rather organized way and gradually groped for their attacking play. Nevertheless, they still allowed the opponent to open an account. Mark Mampassi made a mistake under Spartak pressure near his own penalty area, Sobolev got the ball in a mess at the gate, and he, having pushed through Nair Tiknizyan, showed Nicholson how to convert moments. He, by the way, then missed another scoring chance. And the goalkeeper of Lokomotiv Daniil Khudyakov parried Promes’s insidious twist from the standard before the break.
In general, Spartak naturally won the first half, the tactical scheme of its head coach Guillermo Abascal actually worked with three forwards, and yet nothing was clear. With Zenit and Rostov, the red-whites also led – 1: 0, but in the end they lost. Lokomotiv, of course, is not as strong now as these clubs, but in the second half they made personnel changes, added aggression and began to act as the first number. As a result, it came to the first fire situation in the hosts’ penalty area, when Isidor Wilson jumped on Alexander Selikhov, and only the skill of the goalkeeper saved the hosts.
Abaskal also had to make adjustments and replace Nicholson with Zinkovsky. His exit changed the game in favor of Spartak, which seized the initiative and forced the guests to roll back for a while. In this segment, Nail Umyarov could distinguish himself, whose blow was repelled by Khudyakov. However, Lokomotiv did not reconcile itself, brought in fresh reserves and went forward again. So Selikhov was again forced to help out, stopping Ivan Ignatiev’s breakthrough with a desperate throw at his feet. In the end, Abaskal, just in case, strengthened the defense with an experienced Slovenian Miha Mevlei, and before the final whistle he competently slowed down the pace with a double substitution. Even the former goalkeeper of the red-and-whites, and now the technical coordinator of the club, Artem Rebrov, received a yellow card for tightening the time.
Spartak kept a minimal advantage and scored 19 points, which, however, has not yet affected its position in the standings. He is still fifth, as Krasnodar expectedly defeated Khimki at home – 3:1. Kuban with 20 points caught up with CSKA, which is in third place. On the other hand, Sochi unexpectedly misfired, unable to beat Fakel at home – 1:1. The Black Sea team now has 17 points.
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