For the match of the 11th round “Spartak” and “Dynamo” approached in an unstable condition. The “red-whites” broke their winless streak only in the last round, and the “blue-whites” won only once in the last five matches in the Cup and championship. The derby became a kind of Rubicon — the winner of the match could get the impetus to overcome the crisis, and the loser could break under the weight of failures. Therefore, the game turned out to be cautious and nervous.
Quick goal from Spartak Almost the first mistake in the match led to a goal. Spartak's counterattack did not foretell a serious threat, but suddenly Alexander Sobolev launched an attack into the center with a magnificent diagonal, where due to the inconsistency of Dynamo, Theo Bongonda found himself completely alone. The one-on-one and clear execution of the Congolese brought the hosts ahead.
The cup match a month ago between the same opponents immediately came to mind, when Spartak scored four goals in half time. But the repetition did not work out. Marcel Lička learned his lesson from that game and came out with a midfield diamond, saturating the center of the field as much as possible and securing the rear. The defensive picture was completed by central defender Nicolas Marichal, who came out on the left flank.
The plan paid off — with the exception of the goal failure, the guests did not make any serious mistakes in defense. True, for two thirds of the first half, nothing worked for them in attack. Only after the 30th minute did they make good use of their numerical advantage in the center a couple of times, introducing Luis Chavez to strike — the Mexican shook the crossbar of the hosts' goal on the second attempt.
“Dynamo” turned on, but did not score. But the further they went, the more mistakes the Spartak players made and the more active the Dynamo players became. Numerous Latin Americans of the guests took good advantage of the opponent's problems. Bitello, Jorge Carrascal and Chavez received a lot of freedom from Lichka and could create without much regard for the rear.
As the second half began, more and more dangerous episodes began to arise at the goal of Alexander Maksimenko. First, the Spartak defenders managed to knock the ball away from the Dynamo team in desperate tackles, and then it was the turn of the red-and-white goalkeeper. At least three times he helped the team out, parrying shots from close range.
Despite a decent number of chances at the hosts' goal, there was no feeling that Dynamo were close to scoring. The severity was not a consequence of their pressure and advantage — it was caused by the mistakes of the hosts and the ability of the “blue and white” to use these mistakes.
The guests easily created scoring situations — and just as easily squandered them. The lack of specifics and desire to score at any cost did not allow Lička's team to even snatch a draw. But the Spartak team had more than enough of this desire. And the most passionate among the owners was Sobolev.
The forward distinguished himself not only with an assist, but also with an insatiable thirst for fight. He clung to passes from deep and got involved in literally every single combat in the opponent’s half of the field. Sobolev tormented the Dynamo defenders, exposing himself to fouls, and he himself was not shy about breaking the rules. The teams spent most of the time added to the second half in the visiting half of the field thanks to Alexander, who skillfully held the ball and played for time.
The outcome of the match looks somewhat illogical if you look only at a selection of dangerous moments. It seems that Dynamo could count on at least a draw, but the nature of the game was different. Dynamo's ease allowed them to create chances, but it did not allow them to convert them. And “Spartak” entered the match as if it were a battle, to win — and won. Not because he was better, but because he wanted more.
Now the “red-whites” are ahead of the “blue-whites” in the table and are returning to the race for medals. The character shown in recent games allows them to hope for the best. Lichka will have to teach his players to chew out points, overcoming the intransigence of their opponents. Otherwise, Dynamo will remain a fun, entertaining, but spineless team. And such people don’t win anything.
Russian Premier League (RPL)September 23, 2023 • starts at 19:00Finished
Spartak MoscowRussia1: 0
Dynamo MoscowRussia
07' • Theo Bongonda (Alexander Sobolev)