CSKA Moscow 2-2 Ural Ekaterinburg
Sunday 3 April, VEB Arena

Goals: CSKA - Diveev 4’, Yazici pen 90+3’; Ural - Bijol (OG) 7’, Bicfalvi 55’
Man of the Match: Ivan Kuzmichev (Ural)

With their blistering form of late it was hardly a surprise that CSKA took the lead, but even by their standards this was quick. Igor Diveev was the surprise source, lashing a powerful free kick from distance that took a huge deflection off Oleg Shatov past Ilya Pomazun.

What did come as a shock was that Ural equalised - and how quickly. Andrey Egorychev led a counter-attack, slipping Ramazan Gadzhimuradov into the box unmarked on the right. The winger’s touch was a little heavy, leaving him little option but to cross instead of shoot, but Jaka Bijol’s glancing touch inadvertently deflected it into the far corner. 

Reading the unusual sense of the day, it was experienced full-back Georgi Schennikov who came closest to putting CSKA back in front in the most explosive fashion, cracking a sizzling rocket from almost 30 yards out against Pomazun’s crossbar. 

Gadzhimuradov wasn’t to outdone midway through the first half, as he continued to find ample pockets of space; one offered him time to send an even more spectacular effort off Igor Akinfeev’s crossbar, while Eric Bicfalvi followed up with a diving header and half an open goal to aim for, but couldn’t quite divert his effort on target. Ural, by some distance the lowest scorers in the RPL, were outdoing CSKA 5-2 for shots on goal at this stage.

CSKA goalscorer Diveev hobbled off injured shortly after the break, and while he was off the pitch arguably the biggest shock of the game happened - Ural scored again. For once, however, the source was expected; Eric Bicfalvi’s wonderfully controlled swivel volley gave Akinfeev no chance after Egorychev’s clever touch back.

Ural rode their luck somewhat with 20 minutes to go when Jean-Phillipe Gbamin inexplicably missed an open goal from less than a yard out. Admittedly he hadn’t expected the ball to ricochet back to him, but it was seemingly harder to squeeze it across goal than to turn it inches over the line itself.

Just as the unthinkable result was tantalisingly within reach for Ural, disaster struck. Rifat Augustinyak got the faintest of touches on Egor Ushakov’s foot, and when a VAR review handed Yusuf Yazici the chance to draw the hosts level, he made no mistake against CSKA’s on-loan keeper Pomazun in the third minute added on.

Remarkably the drama wasn’t over - and Ushakov was again central. Leo Goglichidze burst past the youngster into the box, and after another VAR review referee Igor Panin decided contact wasn’t enough to merit a 99th minute spot kick. 

CSKA stay third on 43 points, while Ural go 13th on 21 points.

Next RPL fixtures: Saturday 9 April - Khimki vs CSKA; Sunday 10 April - Ural vs Krylia