Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average, don’t follow up
Zelimkhan Bakaev
Player profile:
- Nationality: Russian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 01/07/1996
- Current Club: Spartak Moscow
- Career: Spartak Moscow, Arsenal Tula (L)
- Position: Right Wing
- Secondary position: 10 / Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Left
Bakaev didn’t have a great game for Spartak who were direct and wanted to counter attack. He made some good runs on counter attacks and into the box. He also ran off of the strikers well and found pockets of space in the attacking half but he was slow to track back. Out of possession he was quite lethargic and uninterested, although he did make a good interception in the final third and took a long shot.
Although he showed glimpses of technical quality he lost the ball too easily and his penetrative passes weren’t coming off, rushing long passes which were dealt with easily. His set piece delivery was also very inconsistent but dangerous at times. He was small and agile and comfortable on the ball, driving at the defence at times.
Rating: B2
A disappointing performance from a player I was hoping would impress. It was a scrappy game and he didn’t necessarily suit the midfield role he had so is worth rewatching.
Ezequiel Ponce
Player profile:
- Nationality: Argentinian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 29/03/1997
- Current Club: Spartak Moscow
- Career: Newell, AS Roma, Granada (L), Lille (L), AEK Athens (L), Spartak Moscow
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Ponce worked hard and was an intelligent presser. He made some decent runs behind the lines and on fast breaks. He often dropped into a bit of space to receive with his back to goal, playing some decent lay offs and fed overlapping runs but lacked physicality and could have protected the ball better. Spartak didn’t create many good chances on the day but Ponce fed of the scraps quite well even if he didn’t score, with a good header from a corner and a powerful shot from a tight angle. However, he wasn’t very strong in the air which harmed their direct play. I would like to see him with more service.
Rating: B1
Jordan Larsson
Player profile:
- Nationality: Swedish
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 20/06/1997
- Current Club: Spartak Moscow
- Career: Helsingborg, NEC Nijmegen, Norrkoping, Spartak Moscow
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Left
Larsson worked hard to press also and usually stayed on the defender’s shoulder, looking to make runs behind the line. He had a decent chance but curled the ball wide of the far post. He lacked service but also lacked quality in the final third when they got there. He has an average build but showed some decent strength on the ball but still wasn’t a very effective target man.
Rating: C
Ayrton Lucas
Player profile:
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Age: 22
- Date of birth: 16/06/1997
- Current Club: Spartak Moscow
- Career: Fluminense, Spartak Moscow
- Position: Left Back
- Secondary position: Left Wing Back
- Preferred foot: Left
The wing back wasn’t involved enough in the game, but grew into it a bit. In a very direct system he was largely in no man’s land and didn’t get much of the ball. His own long balls were overhit or curled inside to the keeper too much. When he did get the ball he did produce some dangerous crosses though and travelled with the ball at a good pace when he could. He had quite a bit of space out wide and made some decent runs and overlaps but wasn’t used enough by his team.
Defensively he wasn’t physical or aggressive enough, he didn’t put his body in and was quite passive, allowing the opponent too much space at times. He made a few decent interceptions with his decent burst of pace to fire out and start counter attacks, looking to carry into space.
Rating: B2
Alex Kral
Player profile:
- Nationality: Czech
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 19/05/1998
- Current Club: Spartak Moscow
- Career: Slavia Prague, Spartak Moscow
- Position: Defensive Midfield
- Secondary position: Central Midfield / Centre Half
- Preferred foot: Right
Kral played as the DM in front of the back three and shielded them. He was very isolated in midfield and quite vulnerable but at the same time he didn’t cope with it very well and his defensive positioning was off at times and he got bypassed quite easily consistently. His passing was too conservative at times, meaning it took two passes to spread play when he could have done it himself and created a quick attack. And other times it was just sloppy, putting passing straight into defenders, behind teammates or not releasing at the right time.
In the final third he was poor, panicking a bit on the ball with some terrible passing from the edge of the box. He was heavy footed with little agility and a slow turning speed, although over medium distance he was okay. He looked to carry the ball, and although he lost the ball too often he also did well to move into space at times but needs better decision making on when to do this.
Rating: C
I was hoping to see a lot more from Kral but is worth watching again as I felt he would have been better suited to a midfield two.