G. Kyrnats enters the game and replaces I. Oblyakov.
Georgi Kyrnats is on to take his place between the posts, on for Ivan Oblyakov.
90' +6
Igor Akinfeev is shown a yellow card for his protestations as he feels the referee has allowed too much extra time.
HE’S OFF! The CSKA captain is given his marching orders as the goalkeeper has refused to stand down to the referee and has been shown a second yellow for it! We play on here but someone else will have to come on from the bench to finish the match.
90' +5
I. Akinfeev gets yellow.
I. Akinfeev gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
90' +4
THAT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY! Odriozola’s cross finds Varane at the back post but the centre-back nods it wide!
90' +3
I. Oblyakov gets yellow.
Ivan Oblyakov is shown a yellow for a slide tackle, done in order to stop a Real counter-attack.
90' +2
CSKA are playing keep away in the Real Madrid half as time slowly expires. Oblyakov loses it, allowing Real to pile forward for one more attack.
90' +1
The fourth official indicates an additional four minutes at the end of the match.
90'
MARIANO OFF THE BAR AT THE LAST! The striker climbs high over his marker and drills his header from an Odriozola cross straight off the base of the post and out. Oh so close from Real Madrid!
88'
Odriozola swings a predictable cross to Mariano whose header sends the ball wide of the goal. It takes its time going over the byline, but Fernandes is there to shepherd the ball out for a goal-kick.
Minute
Description
86'
Viktor Goncharenko is urging his team on, attempting to imbue his side with some energy after almost 90 minutes of chasing the ball. The home team don’t have much longer to hold on – though Real Madrid will most definitely send everybody forward in the closing minutes.
82'
Reguilon puts all his weight behind a curling effort from the top of the penalty area which takes a nasty deflection. It almost loops over the goalkeeper, but Akinfeev makes an unbelievable diving save to push the ball out for a corner. That is a match-winning stop!
80'
Mariano turns and fires a first-time volley over the bar after an Asensio chip plays the striker into the six-yard box.
78'
A. Sigurðsson enters the game and replaces F. Chalov.
CSKA’s second substitution sees Fedor Chalov removed for Arnor Sigurdsson.
74'
Kroos has yet another strike from a long way out but it drifts wide of Akinfeev’s left-hand post. The central midfielder seems desperate to make up for his earlier mistake – which remains the cause of the difference between the two sides.
72'
Asensio puts a high, arcing cross into the penalty area looking to curl it behind the centre-backs, but it evades Mariano and Benzema, falling into the safe gloves of Akinfeev.
70'
There are no players aside from Navas in the Real Madrid half during their attacks. That could leave them exposed to a rapid counter-attack, though the risk is a necessity at this point.
68'
Chernov is once again perfectly placed to nod away Kroos’ out-swinging corner. We are well past the hour mark and still Real Madrid have yet to seriously test Akinfeev. Los Merengues struck the woodwork twice in the first half, but have been poorer and more predictable in the second period.
66'
J. Bijol gets yellow.
Jaka Bijol is shown the first yellow card of the match after bringing down Reguilon in midfield.
65'
D. Efremov enters the game and replaces A. Dzagoev.
Dmitri Efremov comes onto the pitch in CSKA’s first change of the match. He will be replacing Alan Dzagoev in a defensive substitution.
60'
Lopetegui’s substitutions tell the tale of the match, as a creative midfielder and striker replace a holding player and a winger. With no more alterations in this match, the XI on the pitch will have to make the difference for Real Madrid who are flipping back and forth between long-range strikes and attempting to walk the ball into the back of the net.
58'
L. Modrić enters the game and replaces Casemiro.
M. Díaz enters the game and replaces Lucas Vázquez.
Luka Modric enters the pitch just before the hour-mark, replacing Casemiro in a forward-thinking change.
Lopetegui also uses his third change of the match at this time, bringing Mariano on and taking Lucas Vazquez off.
56'
Chalov brings the ball into the opposition half for the first time in quite a while, but he is unable to hold onto it and loses it promptly to Kroos. How much longer can CSKA stay camped in their own half without conceding?
54'
It seems Goncharenko has adjusted his side’s shape, going to a three centre-back formation in an attempt to stifle Real Madrid from the wide positions. Los Blancos have had no problems with their deliveries, though the finishing has been woeful.
52'
Asensio has another strike from long range after Vlasic loses possession to Kroos in midfield. The shot sails high over the crossbar as Real Madrid are looking less and less creative in attack as they desperately scrape for the goal which will bring them level.
50'
Asensio makes some room for himself and has a quick strike at goal with his left foot from outside the penalty area which Akinfeev parries with both hands. Lucky for the goalkeeper that there are no forthcoming Real attackers, as he deflected the shot right into the middle of the box.
48'
Vazquez tries to play Odriozola into the box, but the pass is weak and doesn’t reach the full-back. Real Madrid keep the ball inside the CSKA half after winning a throw-in, however, which keeps the home side back against their goal.
46'
Real Madrid get the second half underway from the kick-off, down 1-0!
45' +2
HALF-TIME: CSKA MOSCOW 1-0 REAL MADRID.
45'
Rodrigo Becao has fallen to the floor grabbing his right knee and the centre-back looks to be in some pain. Replays suggest Asensio gave the centre-back a kick to his already bandaged leg. It is uncertain whether or not he will be fit to continue, but it looks as though he will make it to the half-time whistle at least.
43'
Odriozola enters the game and replaces Dani Carvajal.
An apparent injury has ended Dani Carvajal’s match, with Alvaro Odriozola on in his place.
40'
BENZEMA OFF THE BAR! The delivery comes in from the right and the French striker is in a perfect spot as he meets it with a powerful header which evades Akinfeev’s hand but smashes off the crossbar and pops up – allowing CSKA to clear the rebound out of their area.
38'
Kroos fires a phenomenal pass over the top for Vazquez who gets inside the area with a body feint and has a strike at goal from an acute angle which Akinfeev grasps.
37'
Kroos takes a corner which is flicked on and falls to the far post for Benzema who takes a touch before attempting to whip a curler into the top corner, but the striker narrowly misses his intended target and it goes over the bar.
36'
Kroos lifts it up towards Benzema but Chernov is there to head it away. Ceballos rushes onto the ball and has a whack at it, but Chernov is there again to make a heroic block. CSKA have done well repelling the opposition’s deliveries, though one mistake could sink them.
34'
Vlasic throws Vazquez to the floor, giving away a set-piece outside his penalty area in range for a Kroos cross.
33'
Casemiro attempts an audacious volley from outside the area which is skewed horribly high and wide of Akinfeev’s goal. Lopetegui on the touchline is urging patience from his side who are looking a bit frenetic and desperate to score.
31'
Vazquez steps on the foot of Oblyakov and gives away a needless free-kick near the CSKA penalty area. Signs of frustration already by the winger, just over 30 minutes into the match.
29'
CASEMIRO OFF THE CROSSBAR! The Brazil midfielder wins possession near the halfway line and races towards the opposing penalty area, where he slows down and shoots before entering the 18, smacking his effort against the bottom of the post and out.
27'
Asensio lays it off for Reguilon but the left-back’s cross is very poor and Chernov gets a foot on it to corral it before playing it coolly through the Real Madrid press. Though Los Blancos have certainly had more of the attacking play and possession, Goncharenko’s side have looked comfortable defending and stifling the predictable waves of attack.
25'
Kroos takes a corner to the near post where Nacho flicks it on but he just misses the outstretched foot of Casemiro whose position in the six-yard box means that any connection would have surely beaten Akinfeev. Credit to Fernandes whose presence seemingly put the holding midfielder off slightly.
23'
Carvajal scoops the ball up and over the crossbar after a Reguilon shot is deflected into the right-back’s path. Real Madrid are pouring forward looking for the equaliser, with both flanking defenders getting into the opposition penalty area on a regular basis.
21'
Asensio falls to the ground appealing for a free-kick but the referee isn’t very impressed. He’s having a word with both Rodrigo Becao and the Real left-winger, but play will ultimately restart from an Akinfeev goal-kick.
19'
Oblyakov and Vlasic stand over the set-piece but it’s the former who uses his left foot to find Chalov in the box, but Real Madrid clear without too much fuss.
18'
Real Madrid look a bit of a shambles at the moment as Casemiro’s sloppy pass in midfield is intercepted by Vlasic who is then taken down just outside Navas’ penalty area by Carvajal. CSKA have a free-kick in a great position to make it 2-0.
16'
Another opportunity for CSKA as Vlasic puts a cross to the back post for Chernov who meets it well but sends his effort straight up and over for a Navas goal-kick.
14'
Kroos stands over a free-kick that is positioned just outside the penalty area. He puts a flat cross in towards Varane but Vazquez strays just offside and the play is blown dead for the infringement, as the winger’s position is deemed by the referee to be interfering with play.
12'
Reguilon wins a free-kick after taking Fernandes’ boot to his shin. Despite the calls from Nacho to calm down the play, Real take it quickly and look to force an opening in the CSKA defence.
10'
Asensio cuts to the byline and chips it into the middle looking for Ceballos who nods his chance well wide. His aerial ability isn’t exactly what he is known for – and it certainly showed with that effort.
8'
The Stadion Luzhniki may not be CSKA’s regular venue, but the site of today’s match will bring back some wonderful memories for the home faithful as it was on this ground that Russia knocked Spain out of the World Cup in a penalty shoot-out. Three members of today’s CSKA starting line-up were in that Russian 23-man squad – as were four Spain internationals who are in Real's XI.
6'
Kroos attempts to make amends by shifting the ball onto his right foot and curling an effort towards Akinfeev’s goal – but it takes a deflection off Rodrigo Becao and pops up for the goalkeeper to make the easy catch.
4'
It takes an incredible amount of skill to pull off a pass of that magnitude, which to be fair, Kroos has. It was a very odd decision and one that has cost Real in the early stages. Lopetegui’s side look stuck in the same malaise that has cost them a couple of LaLiga results recently. Can they pull themselves out of it?
2'
N. Vlašić has scored a goal for CSKA Moscow!
WHAT A START FROM THE HOSTS! CSKA TAKE THE LEAD! Kroos attempts to half-volley a pass back to Navas from just inside his own half and Varane and Navas make a mess of it, allowing Nikola Vlasic to nip in and slot home past the goalkeeper! What an unexpected start! 1-0 to the home side!
1'
CSKA Moscow get the match underway from the kick-off!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Champions League Group G fixture between CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid at the Stadion Luzhniki in Moscow!
CSKA have begun their domestic campaign in fine fashion, with their 1-0 loss to Rostov in the first match of the season their only defeat. Viktor Goncharenko’s side sit fourth in the Russian table, but they are a win’s reach from second and have had no trouble scoring goals or keeping them out at the other end. The club currently have the second-best goal differential in the nation, behind Zenit and Krasnodar who are joint-first and sit first and second in the table respectively.
Their opening tie in Group G of the Champions League was a tricky one away against Viktoria Plzen that necessitated a result, seeing as Real Madrid and Roma make up the rest of the quartet. Despite falling behind by two goals in the first half, CSKA responded and equalised in the 95th minute, salvaging a much-needed point. This match today will be even more menacing – though playing at the Luzhniki should give the home side a slight boost.
Julen Lopetegui’s side are joint-top in the Spanish LaLiga, unsurprisingly with Barcelona – though a win over Sevilla would have lifted them into sole custody of first. Perhaps Europe’s elite competition can provide some respite from the league for Los Blancos who opened their Champions League account with a 3-0 thrashing of Roma. They will be looking to get back amongst the goals in this match against a goalkeeper in Igor Akinfeev who, before a 2-0 win over Benfica in 2017, had not kept a clean sheet in his previous 43 fixtures in this tournament – not including qualifiers.
CSKA Moscow Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Igor Akinfeev; Kirill Nababkin, Rodrigo Becao, Nikita Chernov, Mario Fernandes; Ilzat Akhmetov, Jaka Bijol; Ivan Oblyakov, Alan Dzagoev, Nikola Vlasic; Fedor Chalov.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, the team news has been confirmed! Let's start with the home side!
CSKA Moscow Substitutes: Georgi Kyrnats, Dmitri Efremov, Hordur Magnusson, Arnor Sigurdsson, Takuma Nishimura, Astemir Gordyushenko, Timur Zhamaletdinov.
Real Madrid Starting XI (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Nacho, Sergi Reguilon; Dani Ceballos, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Lucas Vazquez, Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio.
Gonacharenko names the exact same CSKA starting XI that took to the pitch last Friday and defeated Orenburg 1-0.
Real Madrid Substitutes: Mariano, Alvaro Odriozola, Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, Thibaut Courtois, Jesus Vallejo, Marcos Llorente.
Unlike his counterpart, Lopetegui does make changes – three in fact - from the side that drew 0-0 with Atletico Madrid in the derby. Reguilon plays at left-back replacing Sergio Ramos, which pushes Nacho into the middle to partner Varane. In midfield, Ceballos gets a start on the right of the midfield trio, replacing Modric, and in attack, Vazquez will be looking to impress in the role that was occupied on the weekend by Bale.
There may never be an opportune time to play Real Madrid, but now is as good as ever. Their Champions League resume aside, it has been tough going for Los Merengues who have scored one goal in their last three matches in LaLiga, with a 1-0 win over Espanyol giving way to a poor performance in a 3-0 defeat by Sevilla, and a 0-0 in the Madrid derby versus Atletico.
Real Madrid looked panicky and hurried in possession in the first half, as they were desperate to get the equaliser before the interval. The attack hasn’t been very creative from Lopetegui’s side who are resorting to crosses and long balls from the midfield. To their credit, they have been close on a number of occasions, with the post and crossbar denying Casemiro and Benzema respectively – though their play hasn’t really merited a goal. The match is poised heading into the second half, with either side capable of winning the three points.
The match got off to an incredible start as Vlasic gave CSKA the lead after only two minutes following a poor back-pass from Kroos. The home side haven’t done too much more of note in an attacking sense, but look wonderfully organised and resolute in front of Akinfeev. Real Madrid’s set-pieces have been of a high standard in the first half, but Chernov and Rodrigo Becao have played each one perfectly, repelling them without fuss.
All it took for CSKA Moscow was Nikola Vlasic’s second-minute strike to record a famous and historic victory. They offered little going forward after taking the lead, but they didn’t really have to in fairness. They remained resolute and determined in defence, compressed space, and forced their opponents to attempt audacious shots from distance. The woodwork came to their rescue on a couple of occasions, but ultimately, good coaching and tactical alterations gave the home side a fully deserved victory over the three-time European champions.
That concludes our coverage of the Group G fixture between CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid. We hope you enjoyed our commentary and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Next up for CSKA Moscow is a home fixture against Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League on Sunday, while Real Madrid travel to the Estadio de Mendizorroza to face Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga.
Well, what can be said about that Real Madrid performance, other than they were very poor. They spent the majority of the 90 minutes on the attack and in possession but did precious little with it. There were some lovely interchanges and golden opportunities, but Los Blancos could not manage to beat Akinfeev who spent most of the time parrying strikes at goal. The poor form continues for Lopetegui’s side who have now not managed a victory – or even a goal - in three consecutive matches.
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