FC Krasnodar – Lech Poznań – 1:1 (1:1)
Goals: Jevtić, 21 (Ceesay, 0:1), Ari, 41 (Mamayev, 1:1)
FC Krasnodar (Russia): Dykan (Kritsyuk, 58), Torbinski (Petrov, 58), Granqvist, Sigurðsson (Eboué, 58), Kaleshin (Markov, 58), Strandberg (Gazinskiy, 46), Ahmedov (Podberyozkin, 58), Pereyra (Kaboré, 58), Mamayev (Joãozinho, 58), Smolov (Bystrov, 58), Ari (Wánderson, 46).
Lech Poznań (Poland): Burić, Kádár, Wilusz, Dejewski (Gumny, 66), Ceesay, Dudka, Lovrencsics (Jozwiak, 66), Gajos, Jevtić, Sisinio, Kownacki (Tetteh, 80).
Yellow card: Sigurðsson, 37 (unsporting behaviour).
Red card: Ari, 45 (punching).
Referees: Moreno, Valverde, Gutierrez (all Spain).
4 February. Spain. Marbella. Marbella Football Center. Cloudy. 16 degrees. 100 spectators.
The scrimmage vs. Poland’s acting champion was started by the Bulls in quite a ready-for-action lineup. The only novelty compared to the games of the autumn part of the season was Torbinski playing as a left full-back. Still, FC Krasnodar boss Oleg Kononov had been training Dmitri in this particular position since the training camps began, so the latter had already managed to make himself familiar with it.
Players of Lech Poznań, with their season resuming in just 9 days, were in a good physical shape. They began pressing the black-greens actively, but the first chance occurred at their own goal nevertheless. Ahmedov could have finished a sweeping attack with a shot from a killing position missing the ball in the most decisive moment.
Both teams were testing each other until the middle of the first half, but then pressing by Lech allowed them to score an opener. Ceesay stole the ball away on the flank delivering it to Darko Jevtić, and the Swiss halfback sent the ball under the second goalpost of Dykan’s domain with a classy bent shot from the corner of the box.
The Krasnodar players took the ball under control immediately and began tightening the ring of their attacks round the goal guarded by Burić. Within a short period of time the Bulls missed a few good chances to score an equalizing goal. At first, Smolov failed to beat the keeper after Ahmedov saw him into a killing position. Then it was Ahmedov himself shooting the ball directly into the keeper from the 18-yard line. Mamayev got his legs kicked in the opposite penalty area, but the Spanish ref paid no regard to this episode. A bit later Ari took a shot on target past the keeper, but lacking some power it allowed Wilusz to clear the ball from the goalmouth and save his team.
Nevertheless, with the first half almost done FC Krasnodar did score an equalizer. It was a smoothly orchestrated counterattack with Granqvist sending Mamayev into the breach with a Grandmaster pass of his. The later bypassed the keeper attempting to challenge him and addressed the ball to the centre where all it was left to Ari was to avoid missing an empty goal.
Just before the half-time whistle was sounded the FC Krasnodar No. 9 Brazilian had marked himself again, with a misdeed now. What he did was replying with a mighty hook to a rough play displayed by Dudka of the Polish team, so accordingly he was sent off the pitch and for a reason, at that.
In accordance with a pre-match agreement the sent-off player was substituted by another one, so for the second half FC Krasnodar took to the field in full force. Soon after the game resumed, Oleg Kononov changed all of his players leaving only Granqvist the team captain for the full 90 minutes. The Bulls went on dominating the pitch and harassing Lech’s defense. On one occasion Podberyozkin was close to success, but he failed to score a goal at point-blank range after a well-done pass combination with Wánderson.
The Polish team had a single opportunity to score in the second half, but Kownacki did not use his chance when he caught Granqvist committing a blunder; in attempt to throw the ball over Kritsyuk he sent it over the crossbar instead.
The black-greens put a lot of effort at the death trying to snatch the victory away, but they never succeeded. A crafty shot by Wánderson from within the box was parried by Burić the keeper, and he was also the one who left Gazinskiy behind for an instant as Yury was rushing to arrive one-on-one with him. As a result, the match that lasted on the whole with a great territorial and playing advantage of the Bulls ended with a 1:1 tie.