HOW can you miss such a game ???

* Spartak fans bought all the tickets for guest seats for the match against Zenit. "The quota of tickets allocated to the club has been fully realized. There are no plans to sell tickets on the day of the match. Guest ticket offices of the Petrovsky stadium will be closed," the press service of the red and white states.

Zenit (St. Petersburg) - Spartak (Moscow) - 4: 2 (2: 2)

Goals: Criscito, 20 - from the penalty spot (1: 0). Bocchetti, 28 (1: 1). Dziuba, 33 (2: 1). Ze Luis, 37 - corner (2: 2). Witsel, 61 (3: 2). Julian, 87 - from the penalty spot (4: 2).

Zenit: Lodygin, Smolnikov, Krishito, Neto, Zhirkov (Lomberts, 88), Kokorin, Xavi Garcia (Mauriciu, 83), Witsel, Julianu, Mak (Yusupov, 76), Dzyuba.

"Spartacus": Rebrov, Mauriciu, Kutepov, Bocchetti, Eshchenko, Promes, Glushakov, Fernando, Popov (Ananidze, 70), Zobnin, Ze Luis.

Warnings: Criscito, 31. Ze Luis, 31. Dziuba, 34. Glushakov, 49. Bocchetti, 54. Eshchenko, 86. No, 90.
Judges: IVANOV. Usachev (all Rostov-on-Don), Sukhoverkhov (Voronezh).
2 October. St. Petersburg. Petrovsky stadium.
In the match of the 9th round of the Russian championship, "Spartak" on the road lost to "Zenith" - 2: 4. Artem Dziuba and Axel Witsel scored against the hosts, two other goals were scored by Artem Rebrov after a penalty kick. Both penalty kicks were assigned for fouls by Andrey Yeshchenko, they were converted by Domenico Criscito and Julian.

The red and white goals were scored by Salvatore Bocchetti and Ze Luis. For Massimo Carrera's charges, this defeat was the second of the season. Despite this, they retained their leadership in the championship, bypassing Zenit, which now also has 19 points, according to additional indicators... However, both clubs can press CSKA today if they beat “Rostov”.

It's a shame when matches of this level are spoiled by inexplicable mistakes. Mistakes that no one needs, even the winner.

Russian referees like to say: everyone is not without sin - teams, footballers, coaches. Only for these mistakes the teams, the players and the coaches are responsible. As a result and subsequent personnel decisions. What are the responsibilities of the referee? "Deuce" from the boss? Suspension from judging? But it doesn't seem that this practice is widespread in our country. Premier League matches are served by the same people.

In this match, referee Ivanov's mistakes will be remembered no less than Lodygin's blunder or two penalties brought from Yeshchenko. But again - Lodygin and Yeschenko risk the result and place in the squad, and what does Ivanov risk?

The referee was wrong - “Zenith” earned a penalty.

The gentleman raised questions with a whistle throughout the game, but for a long time it seemed that he simply lacked qualifications. But what happened before the fourth goal, “Zenith”, crossed all boundaries.

The last ten minutes of the match. “Zenith” leads 3: 2 and leads in general on the case, but at some point “Spartak” catches courage and pushes. At the gate of Lodygin there is one moment, the second. The goalkeeper corrects for a mistake, then takes out the ball from the ribbon. No, the tension increases. Another attack of the red and white, on the right flank, Promes throws the ball past Criscito, who already had a warning, and the Italian grabs the Dutchman by the body with his hands. You don't need to be an expert on refereeing to understand that this is a 100 percent foul and a 90 percent yellow card. Which would automatically turn red. But Ivanov's whistle is silent, “Zenith” carries out a retaliatory attack, and Kokorin earns a penalty. No questions about the 11-meter, here Ivanov worked clearly. But the devil is in the details. For "Spartacus" the devil at that moment turned out to be the man in black.

Up to this episode, I was ready to say that “Spartak” suffered a well-deserved defeat in St. Petersburg. That the team as a whole looked good, but individually in different parts of the field the red and white were weaker. What traditionally stood out Promes (more activity than usefulness), that Ze Luis played at a good level, that Bocchetti played bravely, but all this is not enough. I would argue that the leaders of “Zenith” turned out to be stronger and more numerous, that Dziuba scored excellent form and that Juliana now looks the brightest of all in the championship. In general, it is.

But the blatant decision of the man with the whistle makes us talk about something else. To hell with bashful etiquette and good manners - why, when the refereeing is bad, we, like the coaches, should be silent? I am sure that “Zenith” does not need such favor - it is quite capable of handling it on its own. But the shadow falls on the club and the championship as a whole. It is no coincidence that Valery Karpin said on TV right after the final whistle that Europe is judged in a completely different way.

Be that as it may, “Spartak” suffered the third defeat in a row and the second in the championship. The advantage is lost - with “Zenith” now an equal number of points, and just about over the red and white CSKA will step over.

Fans of “Spartak” in this situation can only console the fact that Carrera, unlike many, tries not to shift the responsibility to others. He has a lot of work to do on the mistakes - in the end, they were made not only by Ivanov's team, but also by the players of “Spartak”. It would be nice to start working in the judiciary too. Otherwise, colleague Rabiner will have to write the third part of the book "How Spartak Was Killed".

General Director of "Spartak" Sergei Rodionov criticized the work of the referee of the match of the 9th round of the Russian championship "Zenith" - "Spartak" (4: 2) Sergei Ivanov, the correspondent of "SE" Tatiana KOPYLOVA reports from St. Petersburg. According to Rodionov, he has never seen a worse refereeing.

- I liked the game, there are no complaints about dedication to the guys, - stressed Rodionov. - Yes, there were mistakes, as in any match, but I want to understand one thing - why help the Zenit team, interfere with the referee's normal game? It seems to me that Zenit is complete good footballers, strong. Why break the course of the game, I do not understand. I don't remember a worse refereeing. Yes, we were wrong, we could have lost. But the fact that the referee's successful mistakes affect the result is very disappointing. The panel of judges should think about this problem. There is no need to help such a team. And I liked the game. It's a shame that the third defeat in a row in St. Petersburg, but, again, the refereeing is completely unqualified. I don’t remember that!

- Have you reviewed the moments?

- What for? Everything was visible anyway. And on the video it will be seen in detail.

- The match was attended by Valentin Ivanov, the head of our refereeing corps ...

- Yes, and I was sitting next to him! He did not express any emotions. Probably, the refereeing is again recognized as wonderful, wonderful, that it should be so. I don't know how else to say.

Oleg Romantsev: "With such a refereeing" Zenith "can win the Champions League"

We summed up the outcome of the meeting in St. Petersburg with the most titled coach in the history of "Spartak"

With whom, if not with the architect of nine victories of "Spartak" in the championships of Russia, it was to discuss the match of the round. Moreover, he has already ventured to predict the return of the title to his home club this season. Despite the last misfires of the red and white in the Cup and the championship, Oleg Ivanovich continues to be optimistic. And although the meeting in St. Petersburg ended in defeat for the Muscovites, Romantsev continues to believe in a bright Spartak tomorrow. That is the kind of person he is.

- After failures, coaches usually shake up the composition, but with the exception of replacing Ananidze with Popov, Carrera did not make any special changes. Does this mean that he believes precisely in those whom he released on the field of “Petrovsky” from the first minutes?

“And believe me, it didn't surprise me at all. Even at the training camp, I myself determined the backbone of the foundation and tried to make changes to it only if someone dropped out due to injuries. Because I always preferred the strongest.

- Some rushed to blame Rebrov for the failure in the meeting with “Ufa”. And yet he again took his place at the gate. Not surprised?

- Not at all. Goalkeepers make mistakes from time to time - such is fate. And if you change them after each mistake, then this will definitely not lead to anything good. Let the skeptics better remember how many times Rebrov helped out in other matches. In my practice, Filimonov's mistake cost the team an entry into the final Euro tournament. But before that, he also brilliantly played in a victorious match with the French world champions. This time, none of the four conceded goals was Rebrov's fault.

- The fact that the hosts before the fight with “Spartak” had only two days of respite, gave the red and white an advantage?

- Especially in the first half, when Zenit turned out to be a bit heavy and put little pressure. I think the talk about a short pause after the game with AZ was a kind of safety net for Lucescu in case of an unsuccessful outcome. And after the break, St. Petersburg residents even improved their movement. Although I always believed that even such an interval should not give the players a reason to indulge themselves on the field and justify a possible failure by this.

- Did you expect an abundance of heads?

- Fans are always waiting goals scored... I will note that in the first 45-five-minute session they might not have been, since they were all the result of obvious mistakes. About the first penalty kick against Spartak, I can say that at that moment the referee acted, as they say, "at his own discretion." And then Lodygin made a gift to the guests, a rebound from which, after hitting Promes from thirty-five meters, Bocchetti watched. As for the goal scored by Ze Luis, here the striker must say thanks to Javi Garcia and Witsel. Those were not supposed to keep him in the penalty area, but the zone from which the striker hit his head.

- Agree. Artem, being in a tight ring of Mauriciu and Kutepov, was able to push the ball into the net.

- What can you say about the third goal of “Zenith”?

- He turned out to be the only one scored according to all the laws of real football. First, a perfect pass to Julian followed, to which Witsel responded with a jerk from the right flank to the center - and the Belgian's shot came out flawless. This is a real class!

- Is the replacement of Popov with Ananidze justified?

- I'm generally surprised why Jano didn't come out from the first minutes. He's fine this season: he scores and plays for partners. It would be possible to find a place for him in the composition, and Popov.

- Instead of whom?

- Everything here depends on the coach's imagination and instinct. At one time, Mostovoy, Tsymbalar, Tikhonov, Titov applied for one place. I had to rack my brains and move someone to another position. I remember once transferring the same Tsymbalar to the position "under the attackers" and he did not spoil the mass at all.

- Who impressed you the most in this match?

- Arbitrator (Sergei Ivanov. - Approx. "SE"). With such refereeing, “Zenith” can win the Champions League.

- Who do you remember from the players?

- Perhaps, Dziuba, who scored a wonderful goal. Although, I am sure that Artyom is able to act brighter and stronger.

- Whom will you mark in “Spartak”?

- The whole team. Which was created by Alenichev.

Petersburg "Zenith" defeated Moscow "Spartak" in the home game of the ninth round of the Premier League championship.

Zenit (St. Petersburg) - Spartak (Moscow) - 4: 2
Goals: Criscito, 20 (1: 0, pen); Bocchetti, 28 (1: 1); Dziuba, 33 (2: 1); Ze Luis, 37 (2: 2); Witsel, 61 (3: 2); Juliano, 87 (4: 2, pen).
Warnings: Krishito, 31; Dziuba, 34; No, 90 - Ze Luis, 31; Glushakov, 49; Bocchetti, 54; Eshchenko, 86.

Zenit under the leadership of Mircea Lucescu looks really impressive today. In European cups, the blue-white-blue throw five goals per match into the rivals' goal, and in the domestic championship, the only thing that prevented Petersburgers from climbing to the top was the instability of the goalkeeper's position and rare mistakes of their own defenders. However, today at the Petrovsky stadium, Lucescu's charges had a chance to beat their principal rival and take away his sole leadership in RFPL championship... Zenit was in a wonderful mood for this - a few days earlier Dutch AZ had been destroyed by the blue-white-blue players in the Europa League. Fans expected that the fate of the guests from the land of tulips would befall the team of Massimo Carrera.

For "Spartak" today was the main chance to show their championship ambitions. The team needed a powerful impulse in the fight for the coveted trophy like air, given that in the last two matches Carrera's wards could not score a single goal to the out-of-the-box teams, simultaneously flying out of the Russian Cup.

The goalkeeper Artem Rebrov appeared in the red-and-white line-up for a principled match from the first minutes. Ilya Kutepov, Andrey Eshchenko, Mauricio and Salvatore Bocchetti helped their goalkeeper in defense. Denis Glushakov, Quincy Promes, Fernando, Ivelin Popov and Roman Zobnin came out in the center of the field. Ze Luis worked in the attack.

Mircea Lucescu included goalkeeper Yuri Lodygin, defenders Igor Smolnikov, Luis Neto, Domenico Criscito and Yuri Zhirkov in the starting lineup. Javi Garcia, Juliano, Axel Witsel and Robert Mack appeared in the midfield. The roles of forwards went to Artem Dzyuba and Alexander Kokorin. Oleg Shatov, the author of one of the goals against "AZ", was not included in the application due to an injury.

By pair

At the beginning of the meeting, Carrera's charges looked more cheerful. The red and white managed to press the home team to their own penalty area and strike. First, Glushakov fired from a good position past, and then Promes hung in the center of the penalty area on Popov, only the midfielder struck his head higher.

After the first 15 minutes Zenit woke up and created a really dangerous moment. Witsel, who did not leave for Juventus last summer, burst into the penalty area of ​​Spartak and did everything, but the ball hit the post and flew off the field. A few moments later, the blue-white-blue managed to earn a penalty. After Dziuba's lumbago on Juliano, Yeshchenko picked up the ball in the tackle with his hand, and the referee pointed to the spot. The 11-meter was executed by Criscito, who realized the standard from the bar.

Spartak responded quickly enough. Promes punched a free kick from 35 meters and, it seemed, did not carry a real threat, if not for Lodygin at the Zenit goal. The goalkeeper clumsily parried the shell in front of him, and Bocchetti was the first to finish.

The blue-white-blue were able to take the lead again in the 34th minute. Mack broke through the flank and shot, and in the confusion Dziuba pushed the shell into the net. It seemed that now Zenit would be more careful with the advantage, but Spartak had a different opinion. Ze Luis responded to the horse pass and threw the ball into the corner.

Twice Eshchenko

Immediately after the break, Dziuba could have scored, but Bocchetti knocked the ball out in time, preventing the next goal from taking place. In the 56th minute, Zenit came up with the third goal against Rebrov, but did it from offside - Witsel scored. However, it was the Belgian who managed to celebrate winning goal... After Juliano's masterful pass in the 61st minute, the midfielder put a shell into the near corner, disappointing the red and white who were eager to win.

In the future, Lucescu decided to rebuild the tactics of his team and released Artur Yusupov instead of Mack. The Russian midfielder had a great moment almost immediately after leaving, but for some unknown reason he decided not to hit the target.

Carrera's replacement could also work - he sent Jano into battle, removing Popov from the field. The Georgian footballer skillfully twisted into the frame of the gate of Lodygin in the 83rd minute. It seemed that the goalkeeper would not drag, but this time the first number of Zenit was able to help out.

Closer to the end of the match, Yeschenko earned another penalty from his own goal. The defender cut down Kokorin in the penalty area and deprived his team of chances for a draw. The 11-meter was famously performed by Juliano, showing outstanding performance for his new club.

Zenit scored 19 points in nine rounds and caught up in this indicator with the leading before today"Spartak". CSKA, playing later with Rostov, can overtake the principal rivals today.

In anxious anticipation of the Russian Clasico, which will attract millions of views on Sunday, Socker.ru plunges into nostalgia for the principled confrontation between Zenit and Spartak, recalling the top ten best matches new century.

October 27, 2001. Spartak - Zenit (Romantsev vsMorozov) - 3: 1
Goals: Titov, 25; Baranov, 27; Parfenov, 53 (penalty) - Arshavin, 3.

In the last three seasons "Spartak" and "Zenith" necessarily held one of their meetings in September, and the "red-whites" never managed to win, but in October Muscovites did not lose to St. Petersburg for 45 years. An important victory was won in 2001, when Zenit was the main competitor of Spartak in the fight for the championship and had to win at Luzhniki in order to keep hopes for the title. The guests started powerfully, and Andrey Arshavin distinguished himself already in the 3rd minute, but in the middle of the half, Titov and Baranov scored a goal, and after the break Parfenov converted a penalty. Having beaten the pursuer one round before the end of the championship, Spartak became unattainable and marked the sixth consecutive championship after the match with Zenit.

July 10, 2002. Spartak - Zenit (Romantsev vs Biryukov) - 4: 3
Goals: Beschastnykh, 51, 58; Kebe, 64; Sychev, 69 - Kerzhakov, 5, 60; Arshavin, 47.

The next season, Spartak left Olympus, as it turned out - for a very long time, and Zenit dropped to 10th place in standings but face-to-face meeting irreconcilable opponents became a decoration of the entire championship. It is curious that in that meeting Mikhail Biryukov was in charge of the St. Petersburg team, who five days before the game in Moscow became acting after the resignation of Yuri Morozov. Zenit was leading by two goals, Beschastnykh evened the score, but Kerzhakov again brought his team forward, but goals from Kebe and young Sychev tipped the scales in favor of the red-whites. This match remained the richest in goals in the Russian era of confrontation between the two capitals until the April meeting, in which Zenit won 5: 2, and the performance record was repeated.

May 1, 2004. Spartak - Zenit (Skala vs Petrzhela) - 0: 3
Goals: Kerzhakov, 37; Spivak, 49; Arshavin, 60.

V recent times Zenit got used to being the favorite in matches with Spartak, but a dozen years ago, the victory over the red-whites was a big event for all fans of the blue-white-blue. The squad of Vlastimil Petrzela not only won over the Muscovites, but achieved a crushing victory, and even away. A welcome gift to all of St. Petersburg on May Day!

April 30, 2006. Zenit - Spartak (Petrzela vs Fedotov) - 1: 4
Goals: Kovalchuk, 3 (own goal) - Pavlyuchenko, 35; Pyanovich, 46, 73; Bazhenov, 75.

It's funny that in 2004 "Spartak" gave a holiday to Peter, and two years later spoiled the mood on the eve of May Day. Three days before the match with Zenit, the Moscow club changed the coach: Vladimir Fedotov became acting after the departure of Alexander Starkov. And in the very first match under the leadership of Vladimir Grigorievich, the "red-whites" played with inspiration! But they conceded first in the opening, and as a result of Sergey Kovalchuk's own goal, but then the Spartak team scored exclusively into the correct goal, leading to a rout.

July 21, 2007. Spartak - Zenit (Cherchesov vsLawyer) - 3: 1
Goals: Pavlyuchenko, 28, 61 (penalty); Bazhenov, 83 - Arshavin, 45.

From August 21, 2004 to November 22, 2008 Zenit could not defeat Spartak. The series stretched for more than four years, but the “blue-white-blue”, despite two defeats with the same 1: 3 score in the 2007 season, still took the championship, for which they fought just with “Spartak”. The Moscow match, which was full of events, turned out to be memorable. There are not only four goals here, one of which Bazhenov scored with a hand, but also 12 yellow cards, as well as the removal of Vyacheslav Malafeev for a last resort foul against the former and future Zenit player Bystrov. Sergey Parshivlyuk also made his debut for Spartak in this match.

May 6, 2012. Zenit - Spartak (Spalletti vs Karpin) - 2: 3
Goals: Kerzhakov, 23; Semak, 82 (penalty) - Bilyaletdinov, 70; Emenike, 84; Carioca, 89.

Surely Zenit fans liked the first meeting of the long transitional championship with Spartak more, when Muscovites were destroyed at Petrovsky with a score of 3: 0, but from the point of view of drama, a date in the penultimate round is more valuable. The “blue-white-blue” have already won the title, and Valery Karpin's team fought for the second line, giving a ticket to the Champions League and eventually achieved their goal largely thanks to a strong-willed victory over the champion. It was hard to believe in such an outcome, when Sergei Semak brought Zenit forward ten minutes before the final whistle, having converted a penalty. True, Emenike immediately equalized the score and saw a red card in front of him - the referee recognized his gesture as offensive and provocative. All the more epic is the victory of the "red-whites", snatched out in the minority and thanks to a goal by Rafael Carioca, who before that flatly refused to score in Russia.

August 11, 2012. Zenit - Spartak (Spalletti vs Emery) - 5: 0
Goals: Kanunnikov, 15; Bystrov, 52; Shirokov, 61; Faizulin, 67, 88.

Literally three months after that victory, Spartak again came to Petrovsky, this time with a new coach - Unai Emery, under whose leadership the Muscovites started the season confidently. Nothing foreshadowed such a catastrophe, so the defeat of the “red-whites” in five goals really shocked, and if not for the brilliant actions of Dikan (when else can you say this about the goalkeeper, who conceded half a dozen goals?), Everything could have ended even more sadly. However, with the score 2: 0, Spartak had a chance to return to the game, but Diniyar Bilyaletdinov missed the penalty, and Zenit fled into the attack and scored the third goal. The guests' song was sung, and the rough play of Aiden McGeady, rewarded with a straight red card, became a confirmation of the impotence of Emery's team, which lost on all counts.

September 28, 2013. Zenit - Spartak (Spalletti vs Karpin) - 4: 2
Goals: Kerzhakov, 20; Hulk, 69; Shatov, 81; Danny, 85 - Chelstrem, 29; Movsisyan, 70.

One of the most beautiful and high-quality matches of the Russian championship in my memory. The game turned out to be so exciting that after the game the impressed fans of Spartak and Zenit, instead of the traditional bickering, congratulated each other on beautiful football. Petersburgers took the lead twice, but Spartak had counterarguments, but Shatov's and Danny's goals in the end remained unanswered.

November 10, 2013. Spartak - Zenit (Karpin vsSpalletti) - 4: 2
Goals: Movsisyan, 33, 44, 48; Glushakov, 83 - Kerzhakov, 6; Hulk, 64.

A month and a half later, Spartak responded symmetrically to Zenit, winning at home with that score 4: 2, but where the Moscow match was definitely inferior to the St. Petersburg match - it was in the surroundings. The game took place in empty stands, the fans could enjoy this spectacle only on TV. And there was so much to see! The guests quickly opened the scoring and could easily score two or three more goals in the opening, and Artem Rebrov saved the penalty kick from the Hulk. But then Yura Movsisyan took the floor and scored a hat-trick. Karpin's team was not embarrassed even by the Brazilian's fatal free-kick, because in the end Denis Glushakov, circling half of the opponents' team on his way to the goal, set the final score.

April 16, 2016. Zenit - Spartak (Villas-Boash vs Alenichev) - 5: 2
Goals: Witsel, 15; Hulk, 46; Dziuba, 65; Mauricio, 73; Garcia, 87 - Popov, 10; Glushakov, 21.

Finally - about the most recent meeting between Spartak and Zenit, which ended in the defeat of the Muscovites and pushed Dmitry Alenichev into a number of organizational conclusions. In particular, after this game were excluded from main team Parshivlyuk and Granat, that is, Sergey's career in his native club took place between two significant matches for him against Zenit. The red-whites started boldly, took the lead twice in the first half, but the guests were broken by the Hulk's goal right after the break. After that, only the “blue-white-blue” scored, inflicting a complete defeat on the principled opponent. Dziuba did not forget to score, who hit the goal in both matches former club... Almost three years have passed since Spartak's last victory over Zenit. An important role in recent results played by Hulk, who scored in six of seven meetings against the "red-whites" (the seventh ended in a goalless draw). It is also curious that in both matches at Petrovsky, where Muscovites conceded five goals each, Dmitry Kombarov did not take part, who is on the field tomorrow due to damage to the muscles of the back of the thigh. Compared to the previous meeting, both clubs have new coaches, who will be lucky in the first Russian Clasico - Lucescu or Carrera?