In the week that the UK finally enjoyed something approaching Spring-like weather, in Siberia it was raining goals and Saint Petersburg bore witness to a plague of yellow-cards.
SIBIR NOVOSIBIRSK 2 – 4 ANZHI MAKHACHKALA
It was goals-aplenty at the Stadion Spartak in Siberia where fans witnessed a crazy game.
Despite a strong start, Sibir went a goal down after David Tsoraev finished a swift counter-attack from the Dagestani on 21mins. Then, after netting his first goal for Anzhi in last weekend’s south-Russia derby with Alania, Czech young-gun Jan Holenda doubled the lead on 35mins, heading home Shukurov’s header inside the box. Holenda struck again to send the away side three-up just three minutes into the second-half.
On 58mins, Sibir’s ‘no surrender’ style brought them a goal when Alexey Medvedev turned Alexey Aravin’s cross in. Suddenly the Siberians had their dander up and Maksim Atafyev plundered another just two minutes later, pouncing on a loose ball and nestling it into the corner.
But any chances of exploiting the swing of momentum were dashed as Sibir lost their discipline. First, Aravin picked up a second yellow on 68mins and then Makarenko was given a straight red for a bad challenge on Tsoraev – who then scored Anzhi’s fourth in added time. Things continue to look ominous for Sibir, having failed to win in five and conceding seven in their last two games.
Catch all the action here:
Sibir Novosibirsk 2 – 4 Anzhi Makhachkala
ALANIA VLADIKAVKAZ 1 – 3 CSKA MOSCOW
Sibir’s fellow bottom-dwellers are Alania after the Snow Leopards lost to an Armymen side who remain unbeaten.
CSKA took a swift lead when ex-Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez rattled a free-kick off Alania’s crossbar, only for Guilherme to nod in the rebound. Serbian flyer Milos Krasic then made it 0-2 when he rounded the keeper and chipped into the net on the stroke of halftime.
Alania could feel hard done by after putting on a good display and were rewarded on 57mins when Kuznetsov headed home. But self-inflicted wounds killed off the Alania fight-back as Ibrahim Gnanou was adjudged to have handled in the box on 71mins. He was given his second yellow card and Alan Dzagoev netted the (retaken) penalty to secure all three points.
RUBIN KAZAN 1 – 1 SPARTAK NALCHIK
After putting together a three-game winning run, Nalchik carried their form into this game against the defending champs.
Rubin have now drawn three in a row and must have thought they’d returned to winning ways here, having led via Christian Noboa after 59mins. That was till three minutes from time when Dejan Rusic popped up to sweep in a deep cross from Bikmaev out on the left.
Nalchik remain a point clear at the top with CSKA and Zenit with games in hand. Rubin fall to fourth.
SPARTAK MOSCOW 2 – 1 TEREK GROZNY
The Chechen’s have been performing as well in the RPL as they have for a long time but were dominated by the Meat in this encounter – yet still managed to take a surprise lead.
Against the run of play, Shamil Asildarov put Terek ahead when he reacted sharply to his own saved header after Yatchenko’s centre.
Despite all their potential, Spartak have yet to click this season and found Terek difficult to break down. Fortunately for the Red-Whites, Antonio Ferreira could not avoid a rifled, low cross from Welliton and knocked in an og on 58mins for the equaliser.
Frustration mounted for the expectant home-fans but with two minutes to go Welliton turned expertly after Marek Suchy’s pass found him in space, and he swept the ball into the far corner to seize maximum points for Spartak, who climb into seventh.
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 1 – 0 LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW
In a game brutal enough to yield 11 yellow cards and one red (Dmitri Tarasov, four minutes from the end), there was not much room for creativity – especially as the in-form Olexandr Aliev was absent through injury.
Both sides squandered chances, Sychev for the visitors and Bystrov – still jeered by his own fans – for Zenit, who had the better of a goalless first half.
Bystrov turned the jeers into cheers on 53mins when he drilled home Danko Lazovic’s pass from the edge of the area. Renat Yanbaev inadvertently struck the bar, on 71mins, with a badly struck cross, but Loko were poor in front of goal without Aliev.
KRYLYA SOVETOV 2 – 1 SATURN
The Wings of the Soviets finally gave their suffering fans something to cheer about after a dreadful start to the campaign.
Anton Bober put Krylya ahead at the far post on 10mins, finishing a good move from the right-hand side. Saturn’s attacking play was poor throughout here and the tie was killed off when Nenad Djordjic curled in a free-kick from just outside the area with 11mins left.
With five minutes to go, Krylya failed to clear a Saturn corner and Petr Nemov smashed home for a consolation.
ROSTOV 2 – 1 AMKAR PERM
Another late winner saw Rostov overcome the spectre of last week’s spanking by Nalchik to sink the team from the Urals who were missing six players through injury.
Despite that, the Red-Blacks had some good early chances but Rostov broke the deadlock when Mersudin Ahmetovic’s shot deflected in past goalkeeper Narubin on 13mins. Sokolov equalised for Amkar on 57mins after Rostov left him woefully unmarked at the back post. Defender Dusan Andjelkovic, made up for that error by scoring the game’s winner with just seven minutes remaining; his shot deflecting in.
Apologies for the Euro dance on the vid, but do watch it, if only for Amkar’s Dennis The Menace-esque shirts.
DYNAMO MOSCOW 0 – 0 TOM TOMSK
Tomsk survived a late penalty claim from Dynamo to share the spoils.
An uninspiring game, it produced few real chances. It would probably sum things up to say both teams will have been happy with a draw in a game neither side were very willing/able (delete as appropriate) to win. Dull, dull, dull.
Tags: Russian Pr