The Southern Derby Ended in a Tie

FC Krasnodar 1-1 (0-0) FC Rostov

Goals: Normann, 64 (0-1), Berg (Petrov), 72 (1-1).

FC Krasnodar: Safonov, Ramírez, Kaio, Martynovich, Petrov, Gazinsky (Utkin, 57), Vilhena (Cabella, 66), Olsson, Claesson (Suleymanov, 80), Wanderson, Berg.

FC Rostov (Rostov-on-Don): Pesyakov, Osipenko, Chernov, Hadžikadunić, Kozlov, Hashimoto (Glebov, 72), Eremenko (Logashov, 85), Bayramyan (Poloz, 63), Normann, Ionov (Dolgov, 72), Shomurodov (Toshevski, 85).

Yellow cards: Petrov, 27, Martynovich, 63 – Eremenko, 27, Toshevski, 90.

Referees: Karasev, Safyan, Murashov (all Moscow).

VAR: Panin (Dmitrov), Mosyakin (Moscow).

30 August 2020. Krasnodar. FC Krasnodar Stadium. Clear. 28 degrees. 9136 spectators.

The clash of FC Krasnodar vs. FC Rostov is often called the Southern Derby, and as a rule the way it is played corresponds to its status. In the course of season 2019/20, both teams made a comeback each in the injury time, and for that reason the plot of the tonight’s game between the teams in question was impossible to predict.

In the first half the Bulls traded periods of activity with the Yellow-Blues. The visitors could have scored an opener after two passes by Bayramyan who brought Shomurodov and Eremenko to a rendezvous with the keeper. On the first occasion the ball bounced a bit and missed the far corner of the net, and later the pigskin hit the near goalpost. In return, the Krasnodar side launched a lengthy assault with Claesson and Vilhena attempting to shoot from killing positions. They failed where Olsson actually succeeded, but the shot fired by the Swede sent the ball close to the goalie, so the latter managed to parry it with his hands in time.

With one hour of the match played FC Rostov made the score 1-0. Mathias Normann bent the ball ideally from a free kick leaving no chance for Safonov to save it. The Bulls then enhanced the midfield with Rémy Cabella and suppressed the Selmashi with their activity. In eight minutes the score became equal again when a three-turn combination involving Cabella, Wandersson, Petrov, and Berg broke through the away team’s defense. Marcus Berg finished it with a shot from the centre of the goal area, and never did he miss.

The Krasnodar squad was a lot closer to win at the death than the opposition. Wanderson and Cabella received the best chances to bring the victory to the Bulls, but FC Rostov ultimately kept the tie alive thanks to Pesyakov the goalie and some luck.