Nizhny Novgorod — Dynamo Moscow, Club Friendly

Dynamo Moscow put in a convincing display to beat Nizhny Novgorod 5:2 in a club friendly match on Thursday. The visitors showed they had nothing to do all evening, running out comfortable winners with goals to spare. It was a straightforward affair that ended in a five-goal victory for the away side. The result means Dynamo Moscow ended a barren spell. They had managed just one win in their previous five matches before this encounter. To be fair, Nizhny Novgorod were in similar form, with two victories from their last five outings. Both sides were looking for momentum ahead of the new season. What struck me watching was how Dynamo Moscow controlled the tempo. They worked a short corner early on and took their chances when they came. By then it was clear this would be one-sided. The visitors kept Nizhny Novgorod in it for periods, but the quality gap showed through. Nizhny Novgorod will have to take this in their stride. They had beaten Khabarovsk and Vladivostok recently, but the losses to Salavat Yulaev, Cherepovets and Novosibirsk had hurt. A five-goal defeat in a friendly is hard to swallow, but there is time to regroup. Dynamo Moscow's record before this match tells its own story. Four defeats from five games meant they were not in the best of spirits. This victory, however brief, could lift the mood around the squad. The old head settled them down when things came to a head. The final scoreline reflects a match where Dynamo Moscow were always in control. Five goals from the visitors against two for the hosts is not close. But this is only a friendly, and the real work lies ahead for both clubs.