Following the already passed one qualifying round of the Champions League, “Spartak”, the Moscow army team will soon enter the European game. The wards of Vladimir Fedotov and Valery Gazzayev will be opposed by Czechs and Slovaks: Slovan and Ruzomberok. The first matches of the third round will be held on August 8-9, the return games will be held on the 22-23th.
On Wednesday, the Luzhniki Stadium froze in anticipation of revenge. Traditionally, this dish is served cold, and the fervor of Spartak fans, in theory, should have been extinguished after an inexpressive draw game in Moldova. In addition, during the European Cup break was a confident victory of the red and white over the “Amkar” - 3: 1. The impudent Tiraspol outsider should have taught a good lesson in Moscow.
However, fans who want to watch the execution, were waiting for disappointment stronger than Moldavian. Again a draw, this time 0-0 and already at home. “Sheriff”, in the first half, managed to repel all the attacks of Muscovites, in the second he thoroughly got down to business, pushing the Spartacists to the goal. But the owners were lucky. Still, 0-0 - an account that allows you to go further.
True, the head coach Fedotov, who again apologized to the fans, was not very lucky. Red-white captain Yegor Titov was even less fortunate - he received a fracture of his cheekbone. And the goalkeeper of “Spartacus” Kowalewski was completely offended by the fans who openly booed their favorites throughout the game. But be that as it may, the “Sheriff” has remained in the past, and the Czech “Slovan” (Liberec) looms on the horizon, only in appearance it is as harmless as the Tiraspol residents. Three years ago, the Czechs at the same stage almost beat the future Champions League triumphant - “Milan”. However, now the Czech champion is not so well equipped and “Spartacus” should be tough. It remains to wish the red-white, so that they do not step a second time on the same rake. And if they did, then again without serious consequences. The first match is August 9 in the Czech Republic.
On the same day in Moscow, CSKA will play its first European Cup match this year against Ruzomberok, who defeated the Swedish Djurgarden in the second round. Slovaks rushed to organize their meeting with red-blue from the very beginning of the return match. And by the 20th minute of the game in goal “Djurgarden” visited two goals. However, the outcome of the game could have been completely different (the guests still pulled one ball), if Nezmar did not hit the goal of the Swedes two minutes before the end of the match. The final 3: 1 on the scoreboard provided the home team with a “friendly” visit to Moscow, a rendezvous with Gazzaev’s wards, who, incidentally, have been playing extremely unstable lately.
Apparently, Kiev Dynamo decided to ignore the political situation at home, securing themselves access to the third qualifying round by an easy victory over the Latvian Metallurg. Kievans, perhaps more than other teams, to which the definition of “ours” is applicable to one degree or another, suffered from the lot. “Fenerbahce” is a much more difficult opponent than “Slovan”, “Ruzomberok” or the Polish “Legia”, with which the Ukrainian champion Donetsk “Shakhtar” will play.
Anton FILINSKY