After the end of the Russian football season, Moscow Spartak gained momentum more appropriate for a club approaching the middle of the European championship. The useless race for CSKA, which ended in points equality, prevented the team from really playing in the Champions League. And now, having survived the epic with trips to the subway and goals conceded in the first minutes, Spartak got together and in two steps achieved the only task where everything depended solely on the team itself: it ended up in the UEFA Cup.
In the match against Sporting, all the current strengths and weaknesses of Spartak were revealed in a surprisingly visual way - fortunately, with a positive balance. Judge for yourself. To complete the scoring combination, a logical pass from the depth of field, a jerk of Bystrov, a discount under the blow to Iraneke and a phenomenal finishing off of Pavlyuchenko were required. The counter-attack sample of the guest team, forced to play the second number, was surprisingly effective, but most importantly, it looked adequate to the game setup. To question the competence that Fedotov, that the players after the first goal, hardly anyone would dare.
The second successful attack, which began with Bystrov’s hectic efforts to handle the ball at a speed incompatible with the technique, suddenly ended in an ideal pass to Kalinichenko, who had reached the same edge on the opposite edge. With this goal, the Spartacists not only corrected the score, but also revealed a flank imbalance - one of the most noticeable failures in the team’s game scheme. The gifted techie Kalinichenko at Fedotov gives the result not systematically, but by chance: it may turn out to be a performer, but never an organizer. While the lively zinger Bystrov compensates for the lack of energy dribbling. Strengthening the left flank with a “runner” like Boyarintsev or Quincy actually brings Spartak more good - despite the fact that it contradicts the letter of the “Spartak spirit”.
Muscovites greeted the revanchist mood of Sporting with an equally recognizable Spartak spirit. Fried at the exits Zuev (Kovalevsky, Khomich - any name is appropriate here), Mozart and Kovacs drove the hosts from the center of the field, one of the defenders quartet habitually fell out - this time Zheder. Not getting rid of the mistakes that got tired of him, over the past season the red-and-white nevertheless honed the attacking blade, repeatedly thrusting it into the opponent’s left side - from the right flank. Having conceded a goal and having finished time on nerves, the Spartak calmed down during the break again entrusted Bystrov with attacking powers. Vladimir struck his head past the gate, picked the ball after a perfect pass by Titov, ruined the discount Pavlyuchenko, did not twist to Boyarintsev - but in each episode he deserved only praise.
Against the background of sincere red and white football, Sporting looked like a team that went forward without enthusiasm, it was not without perseverance and technology. “Sporting” was boring, “Spartak” is, on the contrary, cheerful. The most fun team in the Champions League. Which seemed to be sad after Pavlyuchenko's departure: several counterattacks that were dismissed faded on the approaches to the penalty area. But the smile returned to the faces of the players after Bystrov’s next attempt to run with the ball into the goal and finishing Boyarintsev.
Having identified all of its weaknesses - the goalkeeper, the central defender, the left flank, the lack of a second striker, Spartak used the available resources in the best way. The match against Sporting turned out to be an ideal tool for analyzing the team’s game in the winter offseason - the Russian championship is ahead. And the UEFA Cup.
Group B
SPORTING Portugal - SPARTAK Russia - 1: 3 (1: 2)
Goals: 0: 1 - Pavlyuchenko (7), 0: 2 - Kalinichenko (16), 1: 2 - Carlos Bueno (31), 1: 3 - Boyarintsev (89).
SPORTING: Ricardo, Anderson Polga, Ronnie, Tello, Tonel, Miguel Garcia (Veloso, 28), Yannick Jalu, João Moutinho, Liedson, Paredes (Nani, 60), Carlos Bueno (Alexandro, 68).
SPARTAK: Zuev, Geder, Strantzl, Titov, Pavlyuchenko (Ovusu-Abeye, 74), Iranek, Kovach, V. Bystrov (Dzyuba, 90), Mozart, Kalinichenko (Boyarintsev, 64), Shishkin.
Warnings: Anderson Polga (21), Zuev (44), Zheder (48).
5th of December. "Jose Alvalade." 22.45.
Judge: Volkvarts (Denmark).