Russian Premier League First Half Review

So now that we've all had a few weeks to sit back and reflect on the events of the first half of the Russian Premier League season, I think it's due time to complete my review on the teams and players that shocked fans of Russian football, both in positive and negative ways.

The Overachievers:

Lokomotiv Moscow:

After a decidedly disappointing 2012-13 campaign, the Railwaymen have turned around into their best season in recent memory on the back of some excellent signings, sitting in first place as of the winter break. Loko profited greatly from the exodus at Anzhi, signing Lassana Diarra and Mbark Boussoufa from the Dagestani club, and the duo have combined to great effect thus far. However, the team's true strength has been their superb defence, to which no new members have been introduced. Their typical back four of Roman Shishkin, Vedran Corluka, Jan Durica and Vitali Denisov has proven to be the best in the league and has given the team a solid foundation to build on top of in their push for the title.

Amkar Perm:

Amkar too have built their success this season on a solid defence, shooting up to an unprecedented 7th place, with Thomas Phibel and Dmitri Belorukov forming a dominant partnership in central defence. Amkar have struggled some up the other end however, scoring just 22 goals in 19 matches, the lowest of any team in the top half, with their reliance on Georgi Peev to score becoming startling at times. Regardless, it has been an impressive campaign for the side, and it will take a severe drop off in form to fall out of the top half.

Rostov:

Rostov have had something of a rollercoaster campaign, dishing out upsets to established teams before going on a ten game winless streak, but ultimately reaching the half way mark in a respectable 10th. Their success thus far has been based around a group of excellent loan signings from both Spartak and Lokomotiv, in particular Artem Dzyuba, who leads the league scoring charts with 12 goals. Meanwhile, Zhano Ananidze and Arseni Logashov have also upgraded the team for the time being and have shown great development in their time at Rostov, something that will undoubtedly please their parent clubs. Although they lack quality depth in many areas, Rostov can still put up a very good fight to finish in the top half provided they can become more consistent in the second half of the season.

Krylia Sovetov Samara:

Krylia are yet another team that have relied on good defence to reach their league position, sitting in 11th but on equal points with the three teams above them. Krylia's back four has certainly performed well above expectations considering the lack of midfield protection in front of them, while their disappointing forward line has not done much to help the club's league position either. Regardless, Krylia have the potential to build and could push Rubin, Kuban and Rostov for a top half spot, given a few choice signings in midfield and on the wings.

The Underachievers:

Anzhi Makhachkala:

The withdrawal of funding from Anzhi by their owner, Suleyman Kerimov, has led to an exodus the likes of which have never seen before in modern football and has ultimately led to the complete collapse of the club's first team. With no wins in 19 games, Anzhi has looked completely and utterly incapable of staying in the league, and it looks like it will get even worse for them with the departure of Lacina Traore, by far their best player, to Monaco. I can't see anything for them but relegation this year.

Terek Grozny:

After an impressive 2012-13 campaign in which Terek managed a top half finish, many thought that they might be able to push on and challenge for a European place, but the team has regressed and now finds itself languishing down in 14th place. Normally solid contributors like Igor Lebedenko and Maciej Rybus have struggled to make an impact, while the fact that Zaur Sadaev is actually playing tells the whole story about Terek's lack of quality at striker. This lack of quality up front will continue to cause them problems if it goes unsolved, and I imagine that they won't manage to pull out of the relegation playoff places.

Rubin Kazan:

Rubin have, like Lokomotiv and Amkar, tried to base their team around a solid defence, doing well in that respect but struggling in the goalscoring department. Their aging defence has conceded the least goals in the league, helped considerably by the incredibly defensive midfield pairing of Bibras Natkho and Yann M'Vila, but the lack of fitness of Salomon Rondon has forced the team to field inferior strikers. Providing their defence can remain solid and Rondon can find some semblance of fitness, they could challenge for a European spot, but mid-table seems more likely at this stage.

CSKA Moscow:

Just half a season removed from winning the title, CSKA look like a shadow of their former selves and sit in 5th, 6 points off the top. The departure of Vagner Love hit the team hard, especially due to Seydou Doumbia's injury struggles, while other injuries to Mario Fernandes and Alan Dzagoev have seriously damaged the team's title hopes, as shown by the excellent performances of these players when fit. Certain players, such as Igor Akinfeev, Georgi Schennikov, Pontus Wernbloom and Zoran Tosic, have managed to keep some fantastic form, but they are unable to carry the team on its own and the return to fitness of other key players is vital to their ever-slimming title chances.

The Players:

Artem Dzyuba:

Artem Dzyuba has stunned RPL fans this season, notching up an excellent 12 goals and 2 assists for Rostov, on loan from Spartak. For many a year, Dzyuba was shoehorned into a withdrawn striker role that limited his effectiveness at Spartak, and he fell behind players like Welliton and Emmanuel Emenike in the pecking order. His loan to Rostov has been something of a rebirth however, as he's been allowed to play as a lone striker, using his strength and good hold up play to bring others into the attack and become arguably the best striker in the RPL right now.

Hulk:

After something of a lacklustre first season in which he struggled with personal issues, Hulk has finally found his footing at Zenit, notching up an impressive 9 goals and 4 assists in 14 matches. After playing in his natural right wing role for all of his first season and much of this one, Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti experimented with Hulk as a lone striker, which paid off as he made the position his own in Aleksandr Kerzhakov's absence due to injury and abysmal form. If Hulk can keep up this pace and versatility, I see very few reasons why he can't lead Zenit to the title.

Vitali Denisov:

One of the things that could potentially stand in Hulk's march to the title is Lokomotiv's Uzbek left back, Vitali Denisov. Since joining Loko on a free in January, Denisov has done nothing but impress, with his fantastic pace and crossing ability providing an effective attacking outlet down the left flank in addition to a strong defensive presence. Denisov has most certainly been the best left back in the league this season, outperforming better known names like Georgi Schennikov, Domenico Criscito, Christian Ansaldi and Dmitri Kombarov. If Lokomotiv are to maintain their title ambitions, Denisov will need to keep fit and performing well.

Jose Manuel Jurado:

After being competent, if not brilliant, on loan at Spartak from Schalke last season, Jose Manuel Jurado was brought in permanently by the Moscow club and has repaid them well for their faith. Jurado has been an essential link in Spartak's attack this season, providing an essential supply line to Yura Movsisyan, which has been a large reason why the Armenian has succeeded this season. In addition to his creative tendencies, Jurado put in one of the best individual performances of the season, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist in the 4-1 win over Dynamo, a performance only challenged by Alan Dzagoev in CSKA's 1-0 win over Kuban and Zhano Ananidze in Rostov's 4-0 demolition of Volga the following day.

Thomas Phibel:

Key to Amkar's impressive defence this season, Thomas Phibel has found his feet immediately following his transfer from Polish club Widzew Lodz. The 27 year old Frenchman has been a rock at the heart of Amkar's ambitious and dangerous high line and has done his job to perfection, leading the league in clearances and offsides won, as well as being an impressive distributor from the back. After impressing greatly at Amkar, it would not be surprising in the least if Phibel is snapped up this summer by a bigger RPL team in need of a centre back, such as CSKA or Zenit.

Team of the Half Season:

Yuri Lodygin - Zenit St. Petersburg:
19 matches, 6 clean sheets.

Arseni Logashov - Rostov (on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow):
13 matches, 1 goal, 0 assists.

Vedran Corluka - Lokomotiv Moscow:
18 matches, 1 goal, 1 assist.

Thomas Phibel - Amkar Perm:
11 matches, 1 goal, 0 assists.

Vitali Denisov - Lokomotiv Moscow:
13 matches, 1 goal, 4 assists.

Dmitri Tarasov - Lokomotiv Moscow:

17 matches, 4 goals, 1 assist.
Christian Noboa - Dynamo Moscow:

19 matches, 5 goals, 3 assists.
Hulk - Zenit St. Petersburg:

14 matches, 9 goals, 4 assists.
Jose Manuel Jurado - Spartak Moscow:

18 matches, 6 goals, 1 assist.
Danny - Zenit St. Petersburg:

15 matches, 10 goals, 7 assists.
Artem Dzyuba - Rostov (on loan from Spartak Moscow):
17 matches, 12 goals, 2 assists.



I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who made it this far. Check back here in a few weeks time for my preview of the second half of the season and after that for the return of my regular weekly content.

2013-14 Matchweek 19 Recap: Slimmest of margins in title chase as winter break begins

Results this past weekend drew the chase for the league title down to the finest of margins, with both Lokomotiv and Zenit level on points but separated by 1 goal difference going into the winter break. Spartak are also right in the battle, trailing the leading two by a single point. Be sure to check back here over the coming weeks as there will be some reviews of the first half of the season and previews for what to expect when the Russian Premier League returns in March.

Krasnodar 1-0 CSKA
CSKA exerted heavy pressure on Krasnodar early in the match, but were forced to relent when Keisuke Honda sustained an injury in the dying minutes. The hosts came out swinging after the interval and Artur Jedrzejczyk got what proved to be the winner at the end of a fast and well-worked build up play, however the goal should have been called offside. The visitors returned to the forefront of the match late on, with Alan Dzagoev coming close to a winner, but the solid Krasnodar defence held on for the win.

Zenit 2-1 Ural
Zenit was dominant early on in this match and it paid off in the 12th minute, when Denis Tumasyan tried to clear a cross from Domenico Criscito, but the ball fell to Hulk, who finished coolly. Strangely, it was Hulk who also gave Ural their best chance of the first half, losing the ball in his own box to allow Aleksandr Stchanitsin to fire a shot across the face of goal. The second half started in much the same manner that the first had ended, with Ural pushing forward in search of a goal, and they finally succeeded in the 55th minute. After a foul on the edge of the Zenit box, Aleksandr Erokhin took a quick free kick, flicking the ball over Zenit's stunned defence for Spartak Gogniev, who rounded the keeper and equalised. Despite Ural forcing themselves back into the match, it was Zenit who had the final say, as Hubocan finished well from within the box from an Axel Witsel cross to take the three points.

Volga 1-2 Krylia
Initially, Volga appeared to have bounced back from their devastating 6-1 loss to Spartak last week, taking the lead via Marcin Kowalczyk and effectively controlling the match. However, as the match progressed, Krylia hit back on counter-attacks, first equalising through the excellent Luis Caballero, before substitute Artem Delkin hit the winner in the final minute of regular time.

Anzhi 0-0 Kuban
Once again, Anzhi were abjectly poor, allowing Kuban to control the match before the hosts missed the simplest of chances to pick up their first win of the season. In stoppage time, Roman Bugaev gave away a penalty for fouling Ilya Maksimov, an action which also resulted in Bugaev receiving a yellow. In the resulting uproar from the Kuban players, Bugaev received his second yellow, as did Charles Kabore, both for dissent. Now with a penalty and their opponents down to nine men, Anzhi had the perfect chance to grab a win, but Maksimov missed the penalty and Kuban were able to hold on for a draw.

Lokomotiv 0-0 Rubin
Neither side were particularly threatening in this match, with not a single shot on target coming from either side. Lokomotiv held the ball well, but had Lassana Diarra sent off for two yellows in stoppage time. That's about all there is to say about this match.

Rostov 0-1 Spartak
Despite two of their best players, Artem Dzyuba and Zhano Ananidze, being ineligible for this match as loanees from Spartak, Rostov matched the Moscow side blow for blow for the majority of the match. With the match winding down, it looked as though Rostov would again get a good result against top opposition, before Waris Majeed got his first goal for Spartak off a corner to snatch a win in the dying minutes.

Dynamo 2-0 Amkar
Amkar were impressively even with Dynamo for the majority of the match, but were punished by Kevin Kuranyi on several counter-attacks. First it was a header off a Yuri Zhirkov cross, before the German's excellent penalty resigned the visitors to a loss in a match that they arguably deserved a point from.

Terek 2-0 Tom
Terek looked confident for perhaps the first time this season, going ahead through Jeremy Bokila's tap-in in the 20th minute. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Vladimir Kisenkov was sent off for a second yellow. With the game winding down, Tom Tomsk's misery was compounded when Petr Vasek was sent off and a penalty was awarded to the hosts. Vladimir Rykov, forced to deputise at keeper as Tom had no substitutions available, was unable to save Ailton's good penalty and the match ended with Terek's second victory of the season.

Table:
1 - Lokomotiv
2 - Zenit
3 - Spartak
4 - Dynamo
5 - CSKA
6 - Krasnodar
7 - Amkar
8 - Rubin
9 - Kuban
10 - Rostov
11 - Krylia
12 - Volga
13 - Tom
14 - Terek
15 - Ural
16 - Anzhi

Dynamo 2-0 Amkar: Visitors punished on counters

Dynamo pulled away to a 2-0 home victory over Amkar, dragging their table position up to fourth going into the winter break.


Dynamo lined up with no major surprises, the only change from last week's 3-0 win over Ural being the inclusion of Christopher Samba over Alan Kasaev, pushing Vladimir Granat to left back and Yuri Zhirkov up to Kasaev's left wing spot. Amkar were also largely unchanged, the only difference from their loss to Rubin on Monday being the inclusion of Ivan Cherenchikov at centre back due to Dmitri Belorukov's suspension.

The opening half an hour was a rather dull affair, with neither side willing to push forward and risk an opposing counter-attack. As a result, possession was even and shots were fairly limited before the match really started to open up in the 35th minute. Balazs Dzsudzsak had a good free kick deflected wide for a goal kick, despite coming off an Amkar player before going out. Mere minutes later, Yuri Zhirkov played an excellent ball in for Aleksandr Kokorin, yet the ball got caught up in his feet before a finish could be applied, allowing Thomas Phibel to clear the danger. This was immediately followed by Kevin Kuranyi being sent through on goal by a fantastic pass from Christian Noboa, but it was given as offside in an extremely questionable decision. Regardless, it proved to be the last chance of the half for either side.

The only change at the half was the removal of Kokorin in favour of Vladimir Dyadyun, a decision that paid off almost immediately. A defensive blunder sent both Dyadyun and Kuranyi into the box mere seconds into the half, but Dyadyun was unable to control Kuranyi's flick-on, and the chance came to nothing. The following minutes went the complete other way however, as Amkar pressured well. Maksim Kannunikov played an excellent cross for Georgi Peev, who was only inches away from getting a touch on it and potentially directing it goalwards. It was at this point that Dynamo finally took advantage of Amkar's large numbers in attack, starting a very fast counter-attack that ultimately had the ball end up with Zhirkov on the left wing. The Russian international played a lofted cross in for the onrushing Kuranyi, who headed down past Sergei Narubin to give Dynamo the lead. The goal gave Dynamo the confidence to push forward, and Amkar were forced firmly onto the back foot, struggling to effectively build up attacks or withstand the pressure from the hosts. Amkar finally got back into the game about 10 minutes later, pushing forward well but lacking the final ball time and time again. After a spell of sustained pressure from the visitors, a Dynamo counter led to Martin Jakubko giving away a penalty, which Kuranyi converted excellently to take his brace and close out the scoring.

Notes:
 - Despite playing four at the back, Dynamo quite often looked like they were playing three centre backs, due to Luke Wilkshire's constant (and poorly executed) bombing up the right flank and Vladimir Granat's disposition to drift centrally.
- Aleksandr Kokorin was absolutely battered in the first half, soaking up foul after foul. I suspect this is a large reason why he was very ineffective and looked off the pace.
- Contrastingly, upon being substituted on, Vladimir Dyadyun was incredibly effective. Rather than sitting behind Kuranyi and constantly coming deep for the ball like Kokorin, Dyadyun pushed up alongside the German and pressured the Amkar defence.
- Speaking of the Amkar defence, they were really confident in dribbling out of the back. While it sometimes came back to bite them (such as for Dzsudzsak's excellent free kick in the 35th minute), it also paid off as they were able to maintain possession for extended periods.

Man of the Match: Kevin Kuranyi
Opened the scoring with an excellent header past Sergei Narubin, before killing off the match with an excellent penalty into the top left corner. Kuranyi was always dangerous, making several runs in behind the defence to latch onto through balls from Christian Noboa and Igor Denisov.

Honourable Mentions:
Christian Noboa - Certainly the most creative player on the pitch for either side, he was constantly looking for the perfect ball to start a counter or break through Amkar's defence, and succeeded on numerous occasions.
Thomas Phibel - A rock at the heart of Amkar's defence, he distributed well from the back. However, he did look shaky in the air and could have been sent of for an "accidental" hit on Balazs Dzsudzsak in the second half.

2013-14 Matchweek 18 Recap: Loko go top of table while Spartak score 6

I miscalculated the times of the matches this week, so there won't be a match report unfortunately. In actual news, Lokomotiv have finally moved to first place in the league, Spartak obliterated Volga and CSKA were held to a draw by Rostov.

Dynamo 3-0 Ural
Dynamo and Ural were mostly even in terms of possession, but the hosts were certainly the more attacking of the two sides. After a goalless half hour, Vladimir Granat put Dynamo in front off a corner, however this was the only goal of the half. It didn't take nearly as long after the break for Dynamo to score their second, as Kevin Kuranyi extended their lead after just 12 minutes. Just 9 minutes later, Ural gave away a penalty but Kokorin's effort was saved by replacement keeper Aleksei Solosin. Regardless, Kokorin made up for his error with a tricky finish 3 minutes later to close out the scoring.

Terek 1-1 Zenit
With a surprisingly weak effort going forward from Zenit in the first half, the game went into the interval scoreless, but it didn't remain that way for long after the break. Igor Lebedenko put Terek ahead in the 51st minute with a wonderful (and deflected) strike off a corner that fell to him at the edge of the box. Zenit struggled for an equaliser and it took Axel Witsel's excellent shot from the edge of the box 12 minutes from time to bring the scores level and salvage a point.

Krylia 1-0 Krasnodar
Although neither side was particularly limp in attack, this match remained scoreless for over an hour, due in part to both excellent goalkeeping and bad luck. With the clock running down, it was Krylia who struck via Stanislav Dragun, who slotted away coolly when Aleksandr Filtsov's attempt at a clearance fell to him. Krylia were then able to shut up shop and hold their lead to take what can only be seen as an impressive victory.

Spartak 6-1 Volga
This one progressed just as the scoreline suggests, with complete and total dominance from Spartak. Jose Jurado scored the first two goals, including opening the scoring within 3 minutes. Lucas Barrios followed up, scoring his first for Spartak just before half time, while Aras Ozbiliz was up next, scoring the fourth and putting the game well beyond doubt. Dmitri Bulykin missed a penalty, before Matija Dvornekovic finally pulled one back for the visitors. Nonetheless, Spartak continued scoring as Ozbiliz grabbed his second before Denis Kolodin finished the scoring with an own goal to give Spartak a fantastic five goal win.

Anzhi 0-2 Tom
Anzhi's hopeless run continued although they looked significantly better than they have thus far this season. After dominating the possession and chances for most of the first half, the hosts went behind as Kirill Panchenko finished well from the edge of the box. It was Mikhail Komkov who killed off the game just 2 minutes after being substituted on with a powerful low shot.

Rostov 0-0 CSKA
Rostov were the better side for the majority of the match, controlling possession and having more chances, yet they were unable to find a way through. The most interesting feature of this match was actually the returns of Zhano Ananidze and Alan Dzagoev from injury.

Kuban 1-3 Lokomotiv
Lokomotiv had an excellent opening 30 minutes to go up by three goals. Maicon opened the scoring for Loko after just 4 minutes, finishing coolly, before Vedran Corluka extended the lead with a header 10 minutes later. Mbark Boussoufa finished off the scoring for the visitors after an excellent build up play, and Loko were more than happy to sit back and defend for the rest of the match. Djibril Cisse pulled one back in the final minutes, but it was far too little, far too late for the hosts.

Rubin 3-0 Amkar
Bibras Natkho opened the scoring just before half time for the hosts, but it was the substitutions that really made a difference for Rubin. Salomon Rondon and Oleg Kuzmin were introduced off the bench at different points in the second half, and they each scored less than 2 minutes after coming on to take a solid home win.

Table:
1 - Lokomotiv
2 - Zenit
3 - Spartak
4 - CSKA
5 - Dynamo
6 - Krasnodar
7 - Amkar
8 - Rostov
9 - Kuban
10 - Rubin
11 - Krylia
12 - Volga
13 - Tom
14 - Ural
15 - Terek
16 - Anzhi

2013-14 Matchweek 17 Recap: Moscow derbies tighten title chase

Back to back Moscow derbies allowed Lokomotiv to close the gap between themselves and Zenit to goals scored, sitting level with the St Petersburg side on both points and goal difference. Meanwhile, CSKA's win over Spartak allowed them to pull level on points with their rivals, but remaining in fourth place due to their inferior goal difference.

Zenit 0-2 Rostov
Zenit were stunned by two first half goals from Vitali Djakov and Timofei Kalachev, forcing them into action at the half as Luciano Spalletti made two subs in an effort to get back into the match. On the other hand, Miodrag Bozovic's side sat deep to hold their lead and was able to maintain it until the final whistle to take an incredible result away from home.

Tom 0-1 Rubin
An uninteresting first half was followed by an exciting and combative second period, in which Tom Tomsk's Pavel Golyshev was sent off and Rubin were issued six yellow cards. It was Sergei Kislyak who ultimately got the winner, however the visitors would likely have expected more goals given their utter dominance.

Amkar 3-1 Kuban
Kuban took the lead just before the half hour mark and then proceeded to sit back and park the bus for the remainder of the match. Initially, it appeared to work, however Amkar rallied in the final quarter of an hour, scoring three times to take the win and continue their excellent season.

CSKA 1-0 Spartak
Spartak controlled possession throughout the match while CSKA countered strongly, yet ultimately it was a joint error from Artem Rebrov and Evgenni Makeev that allowed Seydou Doumbia to score the winner in only the 7th minute.

Lokomotiv 1-0 Dynamo
On the other hand, the weekend's second Moscow derby was even throughout as the two teams battled for the three points. It was Dame N'Doye who gave Lokomotiv the lead halfway through the second half, but Dynamo looked likely to equalise for much of the rest of the match, with only Loko's excellent defence holding onto the win.

Ural 1-1 Krylia
Denis Tumasyan scored first for the hosts, but his efforts were undermined by Aleksandr Erokhin, who got sent off just after half time, allowing Krylia to completely dominate the match. However, their attempts came to nothing until very late on, when Luis Caballero's late equaliser salvaged a result for the visitors.

Anzhi 0-0 Volga
This match was very boring and very ugly. Anzhi are still terrible.

Krasnodar 3-2 Terek
Krasnodar took the spoils in a back and forth match that could very easily have gone Terek's way. The hosts first went ahead via a Marcin Komorowski own goal, before Oleg Ivanov equalised just over a minute later. It was Krasnodar's Pavel Mamaev who scored next, but again the visitors pegged back immediately via Ivanov, who scored less than a minute after Mamaev. However, the winner ultimately came from Krasnodar, when Wanderson scored just over 15 minutes from time to take the three points.

Table:
1 - Zenit
2 - Lokomotiv
3 - Spartak
4 - CSKA
5 - Amkar
6 - Krasnodar
7 - Dynamo
8 - Kuban
9 - Rostov
10 - Rubin
11 - Krylia
12 - Volga
13 - Tom
14 - Ural
15 - Terek
16 - Anzhi

CSKA 1-0 Spartak: CSKA capitalise on Rebrov blunder

Seydou Doumbia capitalised on an Artem Rebrov mistake to score the only goal in an exciting Moscow derby, the first of the weekend.

Both sides retained their typical 4-2-3-1 formations as the hosts made just one change from the side that beat Terek two weeks ago, with Mario Fernandes returning to action after six months out with a knee injury. Spartak saw more changes, with Joao Carlos returning to first team action in place of the suspended Tino Costa, allowing Rafael Carioca to push forward into his preferred defensive midfield role. Kim Kallstrom and Ariz Ozbiliz were also replaced in favour of Jose Jurado and Pavel Yakovlev respectively.

Neither side started the match particularly strongly and passing was sloppy in the opening minutes as possession changed hands rapidly early on, before the scoring opened in the 7th minute. A ball forward from Pontus Wernbloom prompted Artem Rebrov to come out and attempt to clear, but poor judgement meant that Doumbia got to the ball ahead of both Rebrov and Evgenni Makeev, tapping it up over them and slotting home coolly. It was a woeful error of judgement from Rebrov, however Makeev was also partially at fault for not dealing with the ball earlier. Despite going behind, it was Spartak who looked strongest as they pushed forward, but lacked the final ball into the box as Glushakov and Jurado struggled to create chances. Indeed, it was CSKA who had the next chance, when Zoran Tosic flicked the ball over Dmitri Kombarov and went one on one with Rebrov, who saved well and went some way to redeeming his earlier error. It was not until ten minutes later that Spartak finally got their chance when a Jurado free kick fell to Glushakov, whose shot was cleared off the line by Mario Fernandes. The most notable event of the remainder of the first half proved to be not a goal, but a foul on the verge of half time. Makeev was lucky not to be sent off for his challenge on Milanov, which led to a confrontation between players of both sides that the referee was able to manage and call half time.

CSKA came out firing after the break, and Keisuke Honda missed a simple chance within three minutes of the interval. Milanov broke through down the left and sent a perfect cross in, but instead of firing home, Honda took a touch away from goal and fired wide. It was a terrible effort at a point where the game could've been put beyond doubt. It was mere minutes later when Honda nearly made up for his miss, playing an excellent ball through to Doumbia, whose shot was blocked by Makeev. CSKA's following attack led to chances for all of Fernandes, Tosic, Milanov and Doumbia, yet none could find a way through to kill the match off. Nonetheless, they continued to push for a second goal and Wernbloom came close, heading the ball off the post from a Honda free kick. However, that proved to be the last big chance for CSKA, as Spartak forced themselves forwards in search of an equliser, with Jurado coming closest. Fifteen minutes from full time, he skipped through three challenges in the CSKA box before shooting straight at Akinfeev, who made a simple save. Following that chance, the match once again degenerated into a bunch of fouls and yellow cards, and from there the game fizzled out with CSKA taking the victory.

Notes:
- Spartak completely dominated possession but struggled to create chances. Their wastefulness gave CSKA many opportunities to counter-attack and get up the other end, but the hosts too lacked the final touch for much of the match.
- Yura Movsisyan definitely looked like he wasn't at 100% following his injury against Zenit. He seemed rather slow on the sprint and struggled to get involved.
- I'm not sure Pavel Yakovlev did anything while he was on the pitch. I really can't advocate starting him over either Aras Ozbiliz or Kirill Kombarov with McGeady on the left.
- On the other hand, Georgi Milanov really grew into the match, especially in the second half. He was dominant down the left flank and his performance was crucial in pinning back Sergei Parshivlyuk.

Man of the Match: Mario Fernandes
Fernandes made his return from a knee injury that kept him out of action for six months, yet managed to look like he hadn't missed a second. He was very good going forward, completing a higher percentage of passes than any other starter on either team, but the moment that separated him from the rest of the bunch was his fantastic block and clearance on the goal line in the 27th minute.

Honourable Mentions:
Georgi Schennikov - Included for similar reasons to Fernandes, Schennikov was great going forward and solid at the back. Fernandes only edges this due to his fantastic block.

2013-14 Matchweek 16 Recap: Surprising results abound

There were a few rather shocking results this weekend, among an abundance of goals as four separate teams scored four goals each. The team of the week was particularly hard to narrow down, especially in the forward slot, as all of Yura Movsisyan, Seydou Doumbia, Artem Dzyuba, Aleksandr Kokorin and Ibrahima Balde put in fantastic performances, but there just isn't enough room for all of them.

Ural 1-4 Rostov
Rostov got back to winning ways after far too long on the back of excellent performances by Artem Dzyuba and Guelor Kanga. Dzyuba scored either side of Arseni Logashov's goal, while Kanga assisted one and scored another of his own to put Rostov up by four goals. Spartak Gogniev scored one very late on to pull one back for the hosts, but it was far too little, far too late.

Tom 2-0 Lokomotiv
Tom stunned Lokomotiv early when Evgeny Bashkirov put the hosts in front after just 5 minutes. Things went from bad to worse for Loko just over half an hour later, when Jan Durica gave away a penalty that Pavel Ignatovich converted well, before Dmitri Tarasov was sent off 5 minutes later. The visitors were never able to find a way back into the match and suffered an embarrassing loss when a win could have put them in 1st place.

Krylia 1-2 Dynamo
Krylia drew first blood through Igor Semshov's strike in the 23rd minute, yet Igor Denisov equalised just 6 minutes later. For much of the match, the hosts looked better with the ball, yet Dynamo used the counter-attack to great effectiveness and eventually got the winner through Christian Noboa with just 15 minutes to play.

Spartak 4-2 Zenit
Both Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Hulk scored for the visitors, but the highlight of the match was definitely the performances of Yura Movsisyan, who scored an excellent hat-trick before departing due to injury, and Denis Glushakov, who scored a beatiful solo goal to stun the leaders and bring the gap between the teams back to just three points.

Amkar 1-0 Anzhi
Amkar completely dominated Anzhi for the full 90 minutes as the hosts barely touched the ball and failed to register a single shot on target. That being said, Amkar should be extremely disappointed in leaving it so late to score, with Dmitri Belorukov getting the winner in the 83rd minute to continue Anzhi's absolutely dismal season.

CSKA 4-1 Terek
CSKA had an absolutely fantastic first half as Seydou Doumbia scored either side of Sergei Ignashevich and Zoran Tosic goals to go into the half with a four goal advantage. They let off the pressure considerably and allowed Terek to pull one back through Ailton 20 minutes from time, but it was nonetheless an impressive result, especially with the absences of Alan Dzagoev and Ahmed Musa.

Rubin 0-1 Krasnodar
Rubin and Krasnodar looked mostly even for the majority of the match and it took a special moment from substitutes Wanderson and Joaozinho (the exclusion of both in the starting XI was perplexing nonetheless) to break the deadlock and continue Rubin's atrocious recent form.

Kuban 4-0 Volga
Ibrahima Balde scored first and last, while Ivelin Popov and Vladislav Ignatiev got one each in an absolute destruction of Volga by Kuban, which was really to be expected.