Российская премьер-лига
News Konstantin Kuchaev scored a second-half hattrick as CSKA comfortably saw off Swiss fourth-tier minnows SR Delemont in a 5-0 hammering on Saturday, before Swedish outfit IK Sirius were later beaten 2-0.
Against Delemont Alan Dzagoev scored his first goal since his lengthy cruciate ligament injury, with Ilya Shkurin bagging the remaining goal.
Despite the emphatic final scoreline, the opening half an hour had been a relatively sedate affair until Dzagoev was clumsily brought down just inside the penalty area. He sent the spot kick into the bottom corner himself.
Five minutes later Kuchaev headed Maksim Eleev’s right-wing cross down into the ground, allowing Delemont’s keeper to tip it over the bar. The Swiss gained confidence and broke completely clear shortly before the break, only to inexplicably shoot wide of Ilya Pomazun’s post.
On the stroke of half time itself, another Delemont attack broke down just outside CSKA’s area allowing a counter attack up the other end. Dzagoev beat the offside trap with a perfectly judged through ball to send Shkurin into acres of space. The Belarussian forward almost wasted his chance but did just enough to finish.
A clever run past two defenders by Kirill Kolesnichenko just a minute into the second half laid a simple chance on a plate for Kuchaev from eight yards. Moments later the FC Chertanovo trialist hit a speculative effort over from outside the area.
Kuchaev swept in a low, left-footed finish after 57 minutes before a rather fortuitous and less glamorous strike for his hattrick seven minutes later. Kolesnichenko fed Dzagoev between the lines to thread a defence-splitting pass to Kuchaev; his blocked shot rebounded straight into him, looping back over the helpless keeper.
In the closing stages CSKA hit the crossbar and post, while Kolesnichenko’s shot when put through on goal by Dzagoev was kept out by the keeper’s feet.
CSKA 5-0 Delemont
15 February, Campoamor, Spain
Goals: Dzagoev (30’ pen), Shkurin (45’), Kuchaev (46’, 57’, 65’)
CSKA: Pomazun, Eleev, Kotin, Nababkin, Shchennikov, Bijol, Maradishvili, Kolesnichenko, Dzagoev, Kuchaev, Shkurin
A much stronger XI took to the pitch against Swedish top-flight side IK Sirius in the evening. First-team regulars Ivan Oblyakov and Nikola Vlasic scored in the second half to complete a successful day of warmup training matches.
Despite a breakaway in the first minute, Sirius barely threatened CSKA in the first half. Mario Fernandes played a simple one-two with Ilzat Akhmetov after 16 minutes before sliding a cutback cross towards Arnor Sigurdsson.
Kristijan Bistrovic - who had tamely shot moments earlier into the keeper’s arms from distance - and Sigurdsson both had shots blocked in the ensuing melee, but couldn’t find a way through.
Such was CSKA’s confidence at this stage though, that even 17-year-old centre-back Vadim Karpov charged forward to steal a loose touch, dribble 20 yards and chip the ball inches over from 25 yards. Nevertheless the scores were level at the break.
The first real chance of the second period fell to Sirius on 56 minutes with a rapid one-on-one break that Igor Akinfeev held after standing his ground. Two minutes later though and a combination of fortune and skill saw CSKA broke the deadlock.
Sigurdsson curled a measured shot off the inside of the post that ran across the goalline and wide of the six-yard box to a lurking Hordur Magnusson. The Icelandic defender was unmarked to drill a cross straight back in for Oblyakov to tap in from a yard out.
Nikola Vlasic’s low left-footed finish from outside the area less than 10 minutes later gave CSKA a two-goal cushion. Sirius weren’t done though, with only a frantic scramble and Akinfeev’s stunning low save keeping two attempts out in the final 20 minutes.
CSKA will face Spanish lower-league side Catragena next on Wednesday 19 February.
CSKA 2-0 IK Sirius
15 February, Campoamor, Spain
Goals: Oblyakov (57’), Vlasic (65’)
CSKA: Akinfeev, Karpov, Diveev, Magnusson, Fernandes, Akhmetov, Bistrovic, Oblyakov, Vlasic, Sigurdsson, Chalov
