Vlasic strikes twice to win Spartak derby and end CSKA’s winless run

CSKA Moscow 2-0 Spartak Moscow
Tuesday 30 June, VEB Arena

Goals: Vlasic (27’, 90+6’)

Man of the Match: Nikola Vlasic

Sent off: Roman Zobnin (78’)

Nikola Vlasic’s shot from outside the penalty area finally ended CSKA’s agonising winless run against 10-man Spartak. He added a second deep into added time after Roman Zobnin had been sent off for the visitors.

After 25 minutes Ivan Oblyakov had Aleksandr Maksimenko at full stretch to palm away a rasping 25-yard effort, but two minutes later Spartak’s keeper fumbled a long-range Vlasic shot into the bottom corner.

Roman Zobnin stung Igor Akinfeev’s hands with a rocket after an intricate team move set him up early in the second half. Other than when Konstantin Kuchaev blazed a snapshot inches wide of the angle, CSKA set up shop to contain Spartak.

With quarter of an hour remaining Roman Zobnin was sent off for elbowing his marker in the face after a VAR review. Although Spartak played the remainder at a disadvantage, it took a fantastic fingertip save from Akinfeev to tip Nail Umyarov’s added-time shot onto the post.

As Spartak scrambled for an equaliser, Vlasic calmly finished a two-on-two breakaway with virtually the last kick of the match.

CSKA Moscow take on Akhmat Grozny away next on Saturday 4 July, while Spartak Moscow host FC Tambov on the same day.

CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev, Nababkin, Diveev, Magnusson, Fernandes, Maradisvili, Oblyakov, Kuchaev (Sigurdsson 81’), Shchennikov (Vasin 90+2’), Vlasic, Chalov (Bistrovic 71’)

Spartak Moscow: Maksimenko, Maslov, Gigot, Dzhikia, Rasskazov (Larsson 69’), Umyarov, Zobnin, Bakaev (Markitesov 90+2’), Ayrton Lucas, Ponce (Mirzov 82’), Sobolev