Ice-cool Berg drives Krasnodar into Champions League in Akhmat rout

FC Krasnodar 4-0 Akhmat Grozny
Wednesday 22 July, Krasnodar Stadium

Goals: Berg (43’, 62’), Cabella (56’), Wanderson (58’)
Man of the Match: Marcus Berg (FC Krasnodar)

Marcus Berg struck twice as FC Krasnodar secured their Champions League place in emphatic style. Remy Cabella and Wanderson completed the rout with impressive second-half finishes.

Aleksandr Melikhov had to be alert to tip a Berg shot on the turn round the post just after the half hour mark. By this stage CSKA Moscow were already 1-0 up, meaning they were in position to leapfrog Krasnodar into a Champions League place.

Krasnodar regained their place at UEFA’s top table after a Daniil Utkin header into the middle of the box was nodded over Melikhov by Berg right on the stroke of half time. With virtually the last touch of the first period though, Odise Roshi unleashed a monstrous 25-yard pile-driver into the top corner to draw level, only to see it ruled out by a VAR review by the slenderest of margins.

The nerves were settled by a sumptuous chip from just inside the box by Remy Cabella just before the hour mark. Berg’s instinctive backheel found the Frenchman to put Krasnodar in firm control. Two minutes later Berg was again the provider as he found Wanderson lurking to nhis right in acres of space to fire home a powerful third.

Just after the hour Berg added his second when he stabbed home a volleyed effort from Yury Gazinsky’s drifting cross.

FC Krasnodar finish the 2019/20 RPL season in third and qualify for the Champions League, while Akhmat Grozny’s RPL survival had already been secured.

FC Krasnodar: Adamov, Petrov, Martynovich, Kaio (Sorokin 72’), Ramirez, Gazinsky, Olsson, Wanderson (Matsukatov 79’), Utkin (Kutovoy 79’), Cabella (Fernandes 66’), Berg (Suleymanov 72’)

Akhmat Grozny: Melikhov, Adamov, Semenov, Ivanov, Bogosavac, Ismael, Shvets, Roshi, Kharin (Kh. Kadyrov 71’), Berisha (Glushakov 59’), Ponce (Ilyin 57’)