Last season under the leadership of Guillermo Abascal inspired fans of the team. Spectacular attacking style with a decent result gave reason to count on more in the new championship. The active work of the club in the transfer market confirmed that Spartak’s ambitions are not limited to getting into the top 3.

The game against the strong Orenburg seemed like an excellent test at the start of the season. Not without difficulty, but the Spartacists managed to pass this test.

Surprises from Abascal

The starting lineup of Spartak completely repeated the experimental combination that started the friendly game with Neftchi at the beginning of the week. The intemperance of Jikia and Sobolev at the end of last season turned into disqualifications for the opening match of the new season, so Abaskal had to look for alternatives to the leaders.

The captain in the center of defense was replaced by Litvinov, who made up a duet with Duarte. Instead of the main striker, the young Pavel Melyoshin appeared at the base, whom Abaskal preferred Keita Balde. Shamar Nicholson, who has not returned to the team, is obviously no longer included in the plans of the Spanish coach. At the gates of Spartak, Alexander Maksimenko unexpectedly settled down, who for the previous year and a half had been content with the role of Alexander Selikhov’s replacement.

Both summer rookies were left out of the starting lineup: Theo Bongonda remained on the bench, and Jesus Medina was not included in the squad due to injury. The new coach of “Orenburg” Jiri Yaroshik left on the bench all four players who came to the team in the summer – Goglichidze, Sidorov, as well as Turkish Gyurlyuk and Argentinean Muro.

Spartak clearly entered the game with a great attitude, setting a brisk pace from the first minutes. The first scoring chance was not long in coming. Khlusevich had a killer chance to score the first goal for the Red-and-Whites after the pass from Promes, who shot the goalkeeper, but the ball was cleared out of the goal by the defender of the guests Perez.

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Abascal’s team was noticeably superior in movement to the opponent. In terms of physical preparation for the Spartacists, there could be no questions. But with the completion of attacks, the hosts had problems. At the first opportunity, they tried to shoot on goal, but most of the attempts were blocked by the defenders. When the ball reached the Orenburg goal, Nikolay Sysuev acted confidently.

The scoring hopes of the guests were associated with quick counterattacks. Several times, Yaroshik’s team ran very well into the opponent’s half and, shortly before the break, almost opened the scoring. Poluyakhtov’s excellent canopy from the flank was prevented from converting into a goal by the bar.

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Goal from the Romantsev era

The pressure of Spartak paid off in the very end of the half. At first, Melyoshin almost scored, for the first time in his career, he appeared in the starting lineup in an RPL match. The 19-year-old forward made a mistake on the goalkeeper of Orenburg, who was trying to clear the ball from the goal. Luckily for Sysuev, the ball rolled near the post after his misstep.

The hosts managed to score in the next attack. A goal combination in someone else’s penalty area can be considered a tribute to the golden Spartak of the 90s. Everything was perfect in this rally: Zinkovsky’s heel pass, which stumped the other defense, and the timely transfer of Promes to Moses, and the finishing blow of the Nigerian.

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A chic goal certainly reminded experienced fans of similar draws involving Titov, Tikhonov and Alenichev. Spartak’s minimal scoring advantage in the first 45 minutes was a logical reflection of what is happening on the field.

Double response “Orenburg”

Immediately after the break, Orenburg found a worthy answer to the Spartak masterpiece. Two components were enough for the goal for the guests – a penetrating pass of Vera and Dmitry Vorobyov’s technique. The striker gracefully passed Duarte, and then dealt with Maksimenko.

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Spartak’s reaction to the conceded ball was restrained. The hosts continued to attack and collect corners, but they did not pose a particular threat to other people’s goals. Moreover, the Red-Whites’ 10th corner turned into a goal against them. To do this, it was enough to carry Vera to another Argentine Florentin, who ran half the field and thrashed heartily into the far corner.

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First assist Bongond and hero Khlusevich

Abascal presented newcomer Theo Bongonda at the end of the first hour of the game. The Congolese added drive on the right flank of the attack, marking several spectacular strokes. Later, the ex-player of the Spanish Cadiz managed to create a productive action. The winger threw the ball into the corner of the penalty area, from where Daniil Khlusevich skillfully spun the ball into the goal. For the left back of Spartak, this goal was the first after moving from Tula.

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On this Khlusevich was not going to stop. Already in stoppage time, the Spartacists played another combination, in which they could not do without a heel pass. This time, Ignatov scored an elegant pass, bringing out the team’s new scorer.

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Spartak again mercilessly treated the nerves of its fans, but in the end managed to achieve a spectacular victory. A week later, the Red-Whites will have a match against the team of another ex-soldier: a newcomer to the Baltika RPL under the leadership of Sergei Ignashevich will come to Moscow.

MIR RPL. 1st round

Spartak (Moscow) — Orenburg (Orenburg) — 3:2 (1:0)

Goals: Moses, 45 (VIDEO). Khlusevich, 76 (VIDEO), 90 (VIDEO). – Vorobyov, 51 (VIDEO). Florentin, 67 (VIDEO).