Spartak M – Dynamo M

Dynamo is capable of repeating CSKA’s trick

On Tuesday 29 April, Spartak will play at home against Dynamo. This is the semi-final match of the Way of the Regions. According to the regulations, there is no margin for error here. A penalty shootout will be held immediately after the main time in case of a draw. Spartak suffered a serious setback over the weekend: the team lost to CSKA and is now out of contention to win the Russian championship, although a month ago it was considered a shadow favourite to win the tournament. Spartak literally fell apart at the finish line. They failed to beat Akhmat, suffered a defeat at the hands of Dinamo Makhachkala and now lost to the Army Men. Dejan Stankovic's charges looked unsure in all matches of the championship. Even the victories over Rostov and Akron turned out to be muddled. Against the South, a questionable penalty against the opponents decided a lot, while in the Akron match the winning goal was scored from a penalty kick in the final seconds. Spartak certainly can't complain about the officiating. The referees have already awarded ten penalties against their opponents in the Russian league alone. The match with Dinamo is key. Now the Cup becomes a priority tournament. It is possible that in case of failure in another derby the question of Dejan Stankovic's resignation will be raised. Spartak has no serious problems with the squad. On the contrary, there is even an overabundance of players in some positions. Dinamo is approaching the cup match on a positive note. There is also a question about the future of the coach. "White-Blue" have fallen out of the championship race. At most they can count on third place. Yaroslav Gladyshev's excellent form brightens up the negativity. The young striker successfully replaces Konstantin Tyukavin. The footballer has already made twelve effective actions. Against Zenit he shone with a magnificent goal - scored a header in a difficult situation. At the same time, Dynamo, of course, lack Tyukavin. Without him, the results became worse. The team stopped beating opponents from the top-6. In 2025 they lost to CSKA and Lokomotiv, they also flew away from the Army men in the RPL Way. The strongest line at Dinamo remains the midfield. Here the club can count on control in any encounter. Bitello is not serving a number, despite the transfer rumours. The situation at the odds is very much reminiscent of the recent big Moscow derby. Spartak are mysteriously relegated and made favourites, even though the club is in abysmal form. All the leaders are now playing significantly worse than they did in the autumn. Even Esekiel Barco has slumped, although he is realising spot-kicks. Dinamo has Gladyshev in fiery form, the squad is certainly not weaker in the format of one game. It's logical to assume an even match. Dynamo will be very convenient to run on the counterattack.