Translated material
To Europe from the back door
“Dynamo” crushes the favorite of the first division in the Russian Cup
Russian clubs now treat the national Cup with great respect. In a Premier League overflowing with ambitions, it is quite difficult to climb to the top of the standings, and therefore teams do not intend to miss even a small chance of getting into the Europa League through a successful performance in the Russian Cup. Of the clubs that played the 1/8 finals matches yesterday, the capital's Dynamo demonstrated the greatest desire for Europe: the Muscovites defeated Volga Nizhny Novgorod, which everyone expects in the Premier League next year, 4:1.Miodrag Bozovic decided to save the main striking force of his team at the moment - Kevin Kuranyi. Martin Yakubko took the place of the forward, and Dynamo could not get close to the visitors’ goal for quite some time. And when they opened the scoring in one of the counterattacks (Mertsvaladze brought the ball into the Dynamo goal with his chest), it seemed that it would be very difficult for the Muscovites to win back. But even before the break, Chesnauskis took advantage of the goalkeeper's mistake, and in the second half, two more mistakes by the goalkeeper allowed Semshov and Dujmovic to achieve a tangible advantage with long-range shots. Samedov brought the score to a devastating one.
The heroes of the day almost became the Gornyak football players from the city of Uchaly. The middle peasant of the Ural-Povolzhye zone had already knocked out the capital's Lokomotiv from the tournament at the previous stage. Yesterday, the team, led by the ex-mentor of the Scottish Hearts and former head of CSKA Anatoly Korobochka, almost took the scalp of another Premier League club: Alania Vladikavkaz managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Russian Cup only in a penalty shootout. Regular time ended in a draw - 0:0, and only an unsuccessful last shot from the 11-meter mark stopped the guests on the way to another sensation - 5:4.
The first division clubs in yesterday's matches could not even reach the penalty shootout. Luch-Energia, under the leadership of the Russified Spanish coach Francisco Arcos, who recently married his translator in Vladivostok, and whose contract was recently extended for another season, was unable to resist Saturn forward Marko Topic, who had recovered from injury. The "aliens" striker, in an effort to regain his place in the starting lineup, scored a double in the first half, and this advantage was enough for the hosts to advance - 2:1. The hero of another 1/8 finals match was Alexander Pavlenko. Two goals from the Spartak graduate, who became the leader of Rostov, were enough to defeat the inhabitant of the core of the first division standings, Volgarem-Gazprom - 2:0.
The teams that won yesterday will make up the quarterfinal pairs: Saturn will meet with Alania, and Rostov will meet with Dynamo. And the path to Europe from this part of the tournament grid may be shorter - on the other hand, CSKA and Zenit are approaching the finals. And if one of them reaches the decisive match, then the finalist, even without winning the Russian Cup, will most likely receive a place in the Europa League. “Sibir” used just such a chance this year.