A date with the Champions League

Spartak will receive an unpleasant opponent in the 1/16 of the UEFA Cup

2. "Spartak"

4. "Sparta"

5. Toulouse

At today's draw for the 1/16 UEFA Cup, Spartak faces an unenviable fate. The vice-champions of Russia, having lost 1:2 to the middle peasant of the French championship “Toulouse” in the last match of the season, finished the group stage of the tournament in second place of the “E” quintet, and now, according to the regulations, the Muscovites will meet with one of the losers of the Champions League. Possible opponents for Cherchesov's team include French Marseille, Norwegian Rosenborg, German Werder Bremen, Portuguese Sporting and Benfica, Scottish Rangers, Dutch PSV and Czech Slavia.

Meetings with any of them in mid-February will be difficult and unpleasant for Spartak, and it is not a fact that the “red-whites” will be able to score the missing points to overtake Romania in the UEFA coefficients table, which has no teams remaining in European competition . Now Russia, which occupies seventh place, is less than a point behind sixth place, which gives the right to enter three teams into the Champions League in 2009. But in order to close this gap, Spartak will need to win two matches in the spring, that is, reach the 1/8 finals.

The task would have been easier if Spartak had won in France. Even though Stanislav Cherchesov gave rest to team leaders Stipe Pletikose, Egor Titov and Roman Pavlyuchenko and allowed Radoslav Kovac, Martin Jiranek and Mozart to recover calmly, the “red-whites” could well count on a decent result. Moreover, for Toulouse, which failed in the European Cup season, this match did not decide anything. The youth team of Spartak, which included Khomich, Kudryashov, Parshivlyuk, Shoave, Prudnikov and Dzyuba, had the initiative throughout the first half and managed to create a couple of dangerous moments. But before the break, the visitors were caught in a counterattack and conceded from Santos.

The second half began with new troubles - the same Santos doubled the hosts' lead with a header. Spartak, however, did not give up and had the opportunity to take at least a draw from France. However, Dzyuba's goal from the penalty spot, which he earned himself, was the only one for the guests. “Given our problems with the squad, I think we played well. Many doubted our motivation, but we fought well,” noted Stanislav Cherchesov after the last match of the season.

Spartak is ahead of Bayer in the Group E standings. And not the least role in this was played by Dmitry Bulykin, who took part in the defeat of Zurich. The Russian forward was in the starting lineup for the first time - apparently, Bayer has a video of the match between the Russian national team and the Swiss national team, where Bulykin scored a hat-trick, and released the striker against the Swiss. He did not disappoint and chalked up a double.

Last Wednesday turned out to be surprising for Russian fans. Fernando Cavenaghi celebrated his birthday on this day. His Bordeaux were losing away to Panionis 0:2, and then the ex-Spartak player took the floor. First, the Argentine took the home goalkeeper by surprise with an unexpected shot, and then actively participated in other scoring episodes, thanks to which Bordeaux left the Greek club without the playoffs.

Bayern achieved the most impressive victory. And again the Greeks were unlucky - the club from Thessaloniki "Aris" was defeated by Ottmar Hitzfeld's team before leaving for the holidays 6:0. Only once did the guests disturb Oliver Kahn, who had returned from disgrace. And it was precisely those players whom the Bayern captain criticized that made the result - Luca Toni chalked up poker, and Ribery scored several assists.

Match results. Group "E". "Toulouse" - "Spartak" - 2:1 ( Santos 41, 53 - Dzyuba 61 from the penalty spot ), "Zurich" - "Bayer" - 0:5 ( Greshko 19, Bulykin 23, 57, Barnetta 50 , Kissling 80 ). Group "F". Braga - Red Star - 2:0 ( Linz 11, Veder 66 ), Bayern - Aris - 6:0 ( Toni 25, 38, 64, 66, Lell 78, Lam 81 ). Group "G". Getafe - Anderlecht - 2:1 ( Hernandez 6, Celestini 50 - Tereo 90), Hapoel - Aalborg - 1:3 ( Junior 45 - Risgaard 27, M. Jacobsen 50 , Ednevolsen 66 ). Group "H". Panionios - Bordeaux - 2:3 ( Djebbour 6 from the penalty spot, Makos 20 - Cavenaghi 40, Tremoulinas 75, Moimbe 87 ), "Galatasaray" - "Austria" - 0:0.

Group "E" I V N P M O

Group "F" I V N P M O

Group "G" I V N P M O

Group "H" I V N P M O

Andrey VDOVIN