Rakuv 0-0 Rubin, match review, Conference League 3rd qualifying round, August 5, 2021

Both funny and ashamed. Rubin’s players had letters peeling off on their shirts in the European Cup match

Well at least we didn’t lose in Poland.

Rubin made their debut in the new European Cup tournament – the League of Conferences. The last time the club from Kazan played on the international stage was in the 2015/2016 season, when it qualified for the group stage of the Europa League, but failed to reach the playoffs.

Now in the third qualifying round of the Conference League team Leonid Slutsky opposed “Rakow”, which last year took second place in the Polish championship, and also won the Cup and Super Cup of the country. Here’s how Rubin visited their first rival in Europe.

Despite their successes last season, Rakow is considered a rather modest club even by Polish standards. Only two years ago he entered the Polish Ekstraklasa, but in a short time he was able to create an efficient team, which now plays in European competitions.

The Rakuva footballers started the match with Rubin quite boldly, carrying out two dangerous attacks in the first ten minutes. Kazan responded with a blow Khvichi Kvaratskhelia, whom Shatov brought one-on-one with an ideal transmission. The Georgian winger shot not very confidently, allowing the goalkeeper Kovachevich create a save.

Then Rubin started having problems with the form. Heavy rain has caused some players to have some letters peeled off on their backs. The press service of the Kazan club reacted beautifully to such a misunderstanding. The case when it is both funny and ashamed.

By the middle of the first half, the pace in the game dropped, and apart from the problem with the form, Rubin started having staffing problems. At the 18th minute Zuev was injured – he entered the field instead Ignatiev… Ten minutes later, due to damage, the field had to be left Shatovwho was replaced by Kostyukov. By the end of the first half of the meeting, the teams did not manage to create something dangerous, and they went to rest.

After the break, the problem with the form continued to haunt Rubin. Command Slutsky entered the second half in numbered shirts, but the head referee João Pedro Pinheiro forbade guests to play in this form. Fortunately, the Kazan club still had some spare shirts, so the match at the Meisky stadium was continued.

At the beginning of the second half, Rakuwa’s midfielder Lopez could open an account from a free kick, but he failed to round the wall. In the Russian club, Khvicha was the most aggravating factor, one of whose blows was once again blocked by the defenders of Rakuva.

As a result, we never saw any heads in the Polish town of Bielsko-Biala. Rubin made a goalless draw with Rakuv, although initially it seemed like a clear favorite. Now, exactly one week later, Slutsky’s team will have to play with the Poles at the Kazan Arena, where they have to be in good shape in every sense of the word and score.