Spartak Moscow beat Dynamo Moscow 2-1 to win the Russia Cup at Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, with former Nigeria international Victor Moses playing from start to finish.
The 31-year-old was given a start in the derby, with Spartak taking the lead in the 10th minute through Alexander Sobolev, for a 1-0 half-time lead. In the 55th minute, Alexander Sobolev equalized for Dynamo, but Quincy Promes scored the winner for Spartak in the 72nd minute.
When Dynamo was awarded a penalty in stoppage time by referee Kirill Levnikov, they had an opportunity to force the game into extra time, but Daniil Fomin missed from the spot after his feeble effort went over the crossbar.
With only two minutes on the clock, Moses, who joined Spartak from Chelsea on July 2, 2021, wasted the game’s opening chance when he raced through on goal but after eluding his marker, he fired a poor attempt that was saved by goalie Igor Leshchuk.
Moses produced another cross from the left flank in the 27th minute, but Dynamo defender Fabian Balbuena was alert to clear the ball to safety.
Dynamo leveled the score in the second quarter when Zakharian blasted a long-range shot that took a nick off the defender and soared past Aleksandr Maksimenko.
Spartak fought back and were rewarded in the 63rd minute when Promes found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and took an early shot that struck the back of the net.
Dynamo had a chance to draw level again in the extra minutes when Roman Evgenyev was taken out by Ruslan Litvinov.
The Dynamo players pursued the referee, but he was unconcerned about the penalty allegation at the time and waved play on.
However, Levnikov changed his mind a minute later and made the VAR signal, awarding Dynamo the penalty after a close inspection. Fomin went up to take the resulting kick, but his effort zipped over the post despite sending Maksimenko the wrong way.
Spartak finally won the domestic Cup after a five-year wait, but it was the club’s first title in 19 years.
