Domestic interest in the Champions League has always been strictly personified: in the 90s, Moscow Spartak solely represented Russia at the prestigious European club tournament. True, not everyone remembers that CSKA opened the very first League - for this the red-and-blue had to defeat Barcelona Johan Cruyff.
However, CSKA and Spartak did not play in the Champions League together. At first, there was no such possibility, and when the League expanded, Lokomotiv established itself in the role of the second, and then the first team of Russia. The 2001/02 season went down in history: two Russian teams played in the group stage at once. More precisely, Lokomotiv played, and Spartak suffered. The following year, the red-and-white set an effective record for the Champions League, and this feat was not left without a reward - the group tournament was missed by the second Russian team.
The current Spartak is reaching for places of military glory: sad pages are erased from memory, red and white are ready to start from scratch. It’s very important for Fedotov’s team to break into the League - this is money, and honor, and reputation. Perhaps the last is the most important: all season Spartak loudly announces its return to the Euro Tournament. The dark times of the Rocks - Chernyshov - Starkov are behind, the team rushes back to the future, reanimates the Spartak spirit and Spartak football. In such a situation, it is impossible to lose to Slovan.
Before the decisive match, Spartak had to fly to Vladivostok - a dubious pleasure. Vladimir Fedotov reasoned simply: our table is tight, one game does not solve anything, especially a game on the edge of the Earth. And he brought a train to Primorye, half empty or half full - as you like. The main players got a little respite and today should appear before the audience fresh and rested.
Spartak of the current season is a courage team, a mood team. Red and white, it is important to score a quick goal against Slovan, which will give them confidence in their own abilities. You will find a confident “Spartak” under a hot hand - you will lose your head. But, if a quick goal fails, the Fedotov team may have problems. The defense of Spartak is rather shaky, and you should not miss the match with Slovan in any case - it is unlikely that a strong Czech team will fall apart like Amkar or Rostov. Standard provisions are especially dangerous: the Czechs hammer their heads without looking. Much will depend on Kowalewski’s mood - the Polish goalkeeper plays differently at the outputs, sometimes brilliantly, sometimes not at all.
The position of CSKA in the League is much nicer than Spartak. Of course, vigilance should not be lost, but the army team is unlikely to miss an advantage of three goals. The current CSKA has a curious feature: the game seems to depend on the sportswear of the leaders, only the leaders are constantly changing. If not at ease Carvalho, Jo or Krasic come to the forefront. Jo breathes out - they take on the form of Olic with Wagner. The interchangeability of leaders is good quality, it is typical for cool teams, teams with baggage, with a "fat reserve".
However, CSKA has an indispensable footballer - Elver Rahimich. Fans of counting money in someone else's pocket often accuse CSKA of wastefulness: they say, where would the army men be without the “gold” Jo, Olic, Carvalho? But Rakhimich moved to CSKA from the Makhachkala “Anji” and was worth nothing by today's standards. Where were the breeders of the rest of the Russian clubs, why didn’t they tear off the country's best defensive midfielder with their hands? But because they failed to discern the remarkable qualities of Rakhimich - tremendous reliability, a sense of play, tactical wisdom. A Bosnian could well have played in a serious European club, had such an opornik - great happiness for CSKA. Happiness, however, is well deserved.
Of course, CSKA faces serious problems. The team has always been famous for an aggressive, assertive game on the flanks, and this season does not show anything like that. Zhirkov will not come to his senses after numerous injuries, and Odia is absent from the very beginning of the championship. The defense of the red and blue is also naughty, and Akinfeev is less reliable than a year ago. However, this has nothing to do with the match against Ruzomberok. Chickens will be counted in the fall - in the main tournament of the Champions League.
Kirill DEMENTYEV