Former Nigeria international, Victor Moses, featured from start to finish as Spartak Moscow defeated Dynamo Moscow 2-1 to lift the Russia Cup at Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday.
The 31-year-old was handed a start in the derby as Spartak took the lead in the 10th minute courtesy of Alexander Sobolev for a 1-0 lead at the half-time break. Alexander Sobolev levelled matters for Dynamo in the 55th minute but Quincy Promes fired home the winner for Spartak in the 72nd minute.
Dynamo got a chance to take the game into extra-time when referee Kirill Levnikov awarded them a penalty in stoppage time, but Daniil Fomin missed from the spot after his poor effort went over the crossbar.
It was Moses, who joined Spartak from Chelsea on July 2, 2021, who missed the first chance of the game with only two minutes played when he raced through on goal but after evading his marker, he unleashed a feeble shot which was stopped by goalkeeper Igor Leshchuk.
However, his side then took the lead when Sobolev received a delightful pass inside the box and smashed a low shot into the bottom left corner past Leshchuk.
The goal rejuvenated Spartak, and they should have doubled their 11 minutes later when Moses, teed up Sobolev but his poor decision allowed the ball to roll out for a goal-kick.
In the 27th minute, Moses delivered another cross from the left-wing but Dynamo defender Fabian Balbuena was alert to clear the ball to safety.
In the second period, Dynamo levelled the score when Zakharian unleashed a shot from a distance and his effort took a nick off the defender and flew past Aleksandr Maksimenko.
Spartak continued to fight to regain the lead and they were rewarded in the 63rd minute when Promes got himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper and he took an early shot that found the back of the net.
In the added minutes, Dynamo got a chance to move level again when Roman Evgenyev went down under a challenge from Ruslan Litvinov.
The Dynamo players chased the referee but at that point, he was not interested in the penalty claim and waved play on.
However, Levnikov changed his mind a minute later and made the VAR signal and after a close check, he awarded the penalty to Dynamo. Fomin stepped up to take the resultant kick, and despite sending Maksimenko the wrong way, his effort whizzed over the post.
The win enabled Spartak to end their five-year wait to clinch the domestic Cup but it was their first title in 19 years.
(goal.com)