Yazici magic sets up Derby win for CSKA

Spartak Moscow 0-2 CSKA Moscow
Saturday 26 February, Otkritie Arena

Goals: CSKA - Yazici 49’, Zaynutdinov 80’
Man of the Match: Yusuf Yazici (CSKA)

An intriguing opening period was marked by a host of debutants - Christopher Martins Pereira and head coach paolo Vanoli for Spartak, and an entire midfield four of Jesus Medina, jean-Phillipe Gbamin, Yusuf Yazici and Jorge Carrascal for CSKA - thrust into a Moscow Derby, but no breakthrough came.

It was one of the longest-serving players who came closest to breaking the deadlock though. Victor Moses played a square ball to Quincy Promes, whose deflected shot smacked against the upright with Igor Akinfeev rooted to the spot.

Carrascal was CSKA’s brightest spark on the break, combining well with Yazici on more than one occasion and volleying a bouncing ball goalwards.

Yazici needed just over three minutes of the second half to find a way through. Standing over a set piece, the Turkish midfielder bent an absolute peach of a free kick into the top left corner past Aleksandr Selikhov. Carrascal almost made it 2-0 a few moments later when he robbed Nail Umyarov of the ball and carried the ball all the way into the CSKA area before steering his shot inches wide.

Spartak pressure brought the hosts plenty of possession high up the pitch, but breaching the RPL’s tightest defence proved tough. The electric Carrascal burst through some hefty challenges with composure with 10 minutes left to feed Chidera Ejuke, who slipped it out to Ivan Oblyakov on the left flank. He patiently waited for a wave of second runners before picking the run of Baktiyor Zaynutdinov to perfectly sweep home a calm bottom-corner finish through a crowd of legs.

Spartak stay ninth on 23 points, while CSKA remain fourth on 33 points.

Next RPL fixtures: Saturday 5 March - CSKA vs Nizhny Novgorod; Sunday 6 March - Dynamo vs Spartak