Moscow “Spartak” in the 13th round The Russian Premier League (RPL) lost to Fakel. The game took place on Saturday at the Central Trade Union Stadium in Voronezh.
After the previous round, Spartak was in fourth place in the standings with 20 points. Ahead of the Muscovites were Krylia Sovetov (21), Zenit (23) and Krasnodar (28). Things seemed to be going well for the team: in the previous match, the red-whites broke a streak of three matches without a win, beating Nizhny Novgorod at home with a score of 2:0.
“Fakel” with 12 points was in the play-off zone. In addition, the Voronezh team scored the fewest goals in the league — nine goals. Three points separated Fakel from Sochi, which was in last place. But there are also positive aspects: with the arrival of Sergei Tashuev as head coach, “Fakel” improved its results, the team went on a series of four matches without defeat.
Russian Premier League (RPL) October 28, 2023 • starts at 14:00Finished< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/accef2a7dc48f9ceb94d453ef80d4648.png" />FakelRussia2 : 0
71' • Evgeniy Markov (P)83' • Maxim Maximov (Vyacheslav Yakimov)
After Fakel returned to the RPL, the rivals played four matches, with Spartak winning all of them. The Voronezh team could be called a very convenient opponent for the Muscovites.
An important point for the red-white fans was the health of Quincy Promes. The Dutchman was injured against Nizhny Novgorod and was replaced at half-time. As a result, the coaching staff decided not to risk the footballer, leaving him in Moscow.
The question of Alexander Sobolev also seemed unresolved. Last week there were rumors that the forward was suspended from training due to disciplinary violations. Although Spartak denied the existence of a conflict between Guillermo Abascal and Sobolev, the footballer was not included in the starting lineup for the match with Nizhny Novgorod, coming on as a substitute only in the second half. In Voronezh, Alexander appeared on the field from the first minutes.
Fakel had a similar problem: defender Igor Kalinin refused to come on as a substitute in the match with Orenburg, for which he was suspended from training by the team management. Subsequently, the football player apologized and returned to the Voronezh team. On Saturday, Kalinin appeared on the field in the second half.
The weather before the match was not the best: it had been raining since the morning. This greatly affected the condition of the lawn at the Central Trade Union Stadium. The drainage system could not cope, and puddles began to form on the field. The arena staff tried to remove excess water with shovels, but this did not really help the situation: the ball got stuck during passes.
Despite the weather conditions, about 12 thousand spectators came to the stadium. Fakel fans sang before the start of the game.
Spartak came to the game in red and black uniforms. For the first time, although the Muscovites announced the third set back in August. The first half turned out to be quite difficult for both teams: everyone was getting used to the heavy grass. From the TV picture it felt like football had returned from the 90s with fields and vegetable gardens. However, both Spartak and Fakel created good chances, but they failed to score.
In the second half, the game was equal until the 68th minute, when Ruslan Magal turned on Alexis Duarte left flank and made a pass into the penalty area, where Srdjan Babic fouled Evgeniy Markov. Referee Vladislav Bezborodov gave a penalty to the Spartak goal, and the Serb received a second yellow card and was sent off from the field. The victim himself approached the ball and beat Alexander Maksimenko. “Fakel” took the lead.
In the 83rd minute the stands exploded again: Nikita Motpan crossed from the right flank, Vyacheslav Yakimov missed the ball, and Maxim Maximov completed the pass. Voronezh doubled their lead. Something happened that no one would have believed before the match: “Fakel” twice upset “Spartak”.
The “Red-Whites” never responded with anything dangerous at the goal of Alexander Belenov. “Fakel” won a well-deserved victory and climbed to 11th place in the table. And there will be questions for Guillermo Abascal again; something wrong is clearly happening with the team.