Spartak Moscow defeated Khimki in the second round of the Russian Football Championship, thereby justifying the defeat in Orenburg last week. But Dejan Stankovic will have even more work. Why serious questions remain for the coach — in the material Sport.
Spartak's defense is scaryThe failure at the start of the season became a catalyst for serious changes in the starting lineup; Stankovic could not have responded differently to the lackluster performance in Orenburg and public opinion, whose radical voices were already demanding the resignation of the legend of Serbian football. Manfred Ugalde replaced Alexander Sobolev, Oleg Ryabchuk replaced Daniil Denisov, Daniil Zorin gave way to Mikhail Ignatov, and Ezequiel Barco appeared in the position of Jesus Medina. A castling at the goalkeeper position was also expected, but Stankovic once again expressed confidence in Alexander Maksimenko. As a goalkeeper who is not famous for stability, he will use it, especially in the context of the recent arrival of the experienced Alexander Dovbnya, is a question of the near future.
The first half in Khimki showed that the transformation of the defense is still going on as painfully as in recent weeks. And it's not just about the transition to two central defenders, but also about the unstable connection between the lines. Of course, Khimki did not act as boldly as Orenburg, but the Moscow Region team also had several dangerous moments, which were largely the result of positional errors by the «red-whites». In Russian football, everyone knows that Reziuan Mirzov almost always moves to the right from the left flank to take a shot, but Daniil Khlusevich fell for several deceptive feints by his opponent in the middle of the half and allowed him to shoot dangerously close to the goalpost.
It got even worse. Nail Umyarov lost the ball in the center of the field time and again, which led to dangerous passes to Mirzov's flank or a pass to Anton Zabolotny. The forward fought well in a power struggle and clung to the ball, and at the end of the first half, it was his interception that led to a great strike from Lucas Vera from afar. And if it had not been for the intervention of the VAR system and the subsequent decision of the head referee Vasily Kazartsev to disallow the goal, the match could have turned out differently.
Decisive castlingHowever, it is also worth noting Stankovic's quick reaction to the unsuccessful course of the game. The Serb realized in time that Ignatov was simply failing the game: the eternally young and eternally promising midfielder, whom fans compare almost to Yegor Titov, was mired in marriage, played out of place and was unable to maintain the pace of the multi-million dollar newcomer Barko. The replacement of Ignatov with Anton Zinkovsky was the key moment of the match, tipping the scales in the «red-white» side.
Zinkovsky, however, did not show any mind-blowing game, although today it was necessary simply not to interfere with the legionary attacking link of Spartak. Barco was spectacular in Khimki, despite the flights, bureaucratic fuss and a long game downtime, and his link with Theo Bongonda promises to become almost the main discovery of the championship. The motor and miniature midfielder, it seems, was everywhere, and this is exactly the player who will tear apart in the Russian Premier League (RPL). The only problem is that Barco needs the same highly intellectual football company, Bongonda alone is not enough here. It is too early to say that Ezequiel is a direct replacement for Quincy Promes, but today's performance may indicate that Spartak has received a kind of hybrid of the Dutchman and one of the strongest legionnaires in the entire history of the «red-whites» — Alex. The confidence with which Barco launched attacks, set the pace and found himself in the right places is simply amazing. And a goal in his debut match should confirm his status as the team's undisputed leader.
Russian Premier League (RPL)July 28, 2024 • starts at 15:00Completed
KhimkiRussia1 : 3
Spartak MoscowRussia
90’ • Butta Magomedov (Sergey Terekhov)
49’ • Ezequiel Barco55’ • Manfred Ugalde (Theo Bongonda)
72’ • Srdjan Babic (Jesus Medina)
See all goals
It is important to note that Spartak is starting a new life. Few people remember Georgiy Dzhikiya’s departure (and this is taking into account the many failures in defense), Barko’s dazzling free kick removes the last nostalgia for Promes, and Ugalde’s first goal inspires hope that even without Sobolev there will be someone to score in the attack. But what to do with the young Russians who looked like ballast today? Who to rotate the squad with, taking into account the limit on foreign players? And most importantly, what if luck and VAR are not on Spartak’s side next time? The next Russian Cup match, where Stankovic’s team will play against Dynamo Moscow, should answer many questions.
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