CSKA, Spartak equal before head-to-head battle

CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow are neck and neck before their crucial clash on Sunday as the Army men could only manage a scoreless draw with Spartak Nalchik in a delayed game on week 11.

Both sides were impotent in the final third of the field, with clear cut chances in short supply in the first half.

The best efforts went the way of the visitors early on.

The Army men weren’t helped by some lackadaisical defending that nearly left Akinfeev red-faced between the posts, but both sides went in at the break with scores unchanged.

Whatever CSKA boss Zico said to his players at half time certainly made them up their game in the final 45.

Berezutsky should have scored after the restart, while Vagner Love was terrier-like up front, but he couldn’t break the deadlock.

A goalless draw was how it finished. The result has left lowly Spartak Nalchik four points from safety and CSKA three from the top. They took the fourth position just behind Spartak Moscow, with both sides getting 24 points, but CSKA are worse in goal difference.

In the final game of the first half of the championship, CSKA will take on Spartak in a game dubbed the match between the greatest rivals in Russian football.