RPL Week 27: Scores & Highlights

Finally, the Covid-19 scandal that tainted the restart to action is now calming down, with even Orenburg able to field a much stronger side. However, not only lost again but got destroyed 4-0 by CSKA Moscow. Fedor Chalov looks firing again for the first time since October with another goal and assist on the day.

Elsewhere, Akhmat Grozny defeated relegation rivals, Tambov, with winter signing Felipe Vizeu grabbing his first goal for the club, and their form coupled with the remaining fixtures of the bottom three probably sees them pull away from relegation. Krylia also made huge strides, with a 4-2 away victory over Arsenal Tula – who have now won just one game in six. New Krylia boss Andrey Talalaev picked up his first win in the process and is still undefeated as boss. Ural and Rubin also defeated Dinamo and Krasnodar in very well earned victories – all this movement likely means either Tambov or Krylia will now follow Orenburg to the FNL should Khimki accept promotion.

Ufa were the biggest movers in mid-table, cementing their grasp on sixth ahead of Spartak and Dinamo with a 2-1 home victory over Rostov and a bizarre anime-inspired celebration from Vyacheslav Krotov.

At the top of the table, meanwhile, Zenit extended their lead and lifted a newly-disinfected RPL trophy with a 2-1 victory over Sochi, and only CSKA actually won as all the rest of the top five dropped points. In the Moscow derby, the teams played out a drab and boring draw while Domenico Tedesco got sent off, again, and got a three-match ban in the process.

In case you missed it, here’s the latest RFN Podcast reviewing last week’s results:

Tambov 1 – 2 Akhmat Grozny

Goals: Melkadze (Tambov); Ismael & Felipe Vizeu (Akhmat)

|

Arsenal Tula 2 – 4 Krylia Sovetov

Goals: Denisov & Lutsenko (Arsenal); Lystsov, Popovic, Glushenkov & Radonjic (Krylia)

|

Orenburg 0 – 4 CSKA Moscow

Goals: Chalov, Vlasic, Shchennikov & Oblyakov (CSKA)

|

Sochi 1 – 2 Zenit St Petersburg

Goals: Zabolotnyi (Sochi); Malcom & Azmoun (Zenit)

|

Spartak Moscow 1 – 1 Lokomotiv Moscow

Goals: Ponce (Spartak); Al Miranchuk (Loko)

|

Rostov 1 – 2 Ufa

Goals: Hadzikadunic (Rostov); Fomin & Krotov (Ufa)

|

Ural Ekaterinburg 2 – 1 Dinamo Moscow

Goals: El Kabir & Pogrebnyak (Ural); Emelyanov OG (Dinamo)

|

Rubin Kazan 1 – 0 Krasnodar

Goals: Makarov (Rubin)

Author: James Nickels

Born and raised in South Shields, the direct mid-point between Sunderland and Newcastle in North-East England during an era of sustained success and European football for the Magpies, while the Black Cats floundered in the lower divisions, so naturally I decided to support Sunderland. I’ve developed an interest in Russian football over the last decade or so, but it piqued while studying for my Masters’ Degree in Russian and Soviet History, and I’ve been hooked by Spartak Moscow ever since. Considers Eduard Streltsov the best of his generation, and a fond proponent of his repatriation.