Rostov Knock CSKA Moscow Out of Cup with Late Double
Rostov beat CSKA Moscow 2-0 in the Cup's Group Stage-3 fixture on Monday evening. The hosts secured their progression with two second-half goals, closing out a match where the visitors controlled possession but could not find the net. I. Aznaurov and D. Prokhin struck in the 75th and 85th minutes respectively to settle the contest.
CSKA came into the game with more recent attacking output, averaging over two goals per game in their last three outings. Rostov, by contrast, had suffered two defeats in their previous five fixtures before this victory. To be fair, the visitors carried that momentum onto the pitch, registering 0.54 possession against their hosts' 0.46. But possession means little when chances go begging.
The first half contained only one notable event: a substitution of M. Gajic for the hosts in the 10th minute. CSKA made two changes at the break with V. Melekhin and Ygor Nogueira entering. D. Abdulkadyrov picked up a yellow card for CSKA in the 56th minute, and both sides brought on fresh legs in the second half with three more substitutions between them.
And here's the thing about the statistics — CSKA had more shots overall. They registered 12 attempts to Rostov's 8, with 4 shots on target compared to the hosts' 5. Yet only one of those five shots on target for Rostov found the back of the net on each occasion. The visitors' four shots on target produced nothing, which tells you everything about clinical finishing in cup football.
Rostov's recent form had been uneven. They lost 0-1 to Krasnodar and 1-4 to Akhmat Grozny in their last two matches before this win. CSKA showed more consistency with two victories and two draws in their previous five games. The two sides had already drawn 0-0 earlier in August, so this result represents a clear shift in the dynamic between them.
The victory puts Rostov in a strong position for progression from this group stage. CSKA will need to find a way to convert their territorial advantage into goals if they are to stay on track. The hosts took advantage of their opportunities and handed themselves a significant advantage with this result.
