Baltika lost 1:2 to Dynamo in the last match of the season, but on the whole the game was even.
18 shots to 8, 6 on target to 4, 33 touches in the box to 12, xG 1.40 to 1.27 — Dynamo were simply more precise in the key moments. Baltika played interesting football, but once again the result didn't go our way.
Dynamo took their chances, but there were also one-on-ones that went begging — Tyukavin after a Gassama error, then Okishor after a Kovalev error. Talalaev's team had its moments too: in the first half Murid hit the keeper from six yards, Lacerda met a cutback from five yards — straight into Lunev's hands again.
The Kaliningraders regrouped decently after the break, Civic came into the game strongly, and Titkov had an excellent match. Lacerda's goal came from a far from simple position — scored with his stomach, or possibly some other body part slightly lower down 🤭
Where the match broke
1. Baltika's right side didn't hold
The first goal is the main symptom. Gassama found himself too high far too often, Varatynov kept getting left in awkward situations, and Arthur got the kind of space you cannot give a player of that level. And in general Arthur had a great game — man of the match alongside Marichal!
The numbers show it too: Gassama won just 2 of 8 aerial duels and gifted Tyukavin a one-on-one; Varatynov had 0 tackles. But what matters more than the individual numbers is the overall picture: the right side of the defence looked like a zone where everyone is sort of doing something, but nobody is fully responsible.
The Kovalev–Murid pairing gave Baltika no control of the ball. No tempo, no clean way out of defence, no proper cover.
Kovalev barely moved the game forward in the whole half, didn't beat anyone and didn't create anything. Murid picked up an early yellow and then played as if he was about to be substituted or sent off.
That's precisely why the double change at half-time looked like an admission of the obvious: these lads weren't carrying the match.
3. The half-time reshuffle worked
Civic and Yenne changed the game.
Civic gave what had been missing before the break: movement, passing quality and proper involvement in attack. In 45 minutes he had an assist, 2 chances created and 3 tackles. That's not just a good cameo from the bench. That's a claim for a starting place.
Yenne added a threat on the flank in one-on-one situations. Not a perfect match, but Baltika finally had a spot where the opponent could not only be bombarded with passes but actually beaten.
After the break Baltika started to look like a team that understands how to get back into a match. And it did.
4. The Lacerda substitution didn't work
In the 67th minute Talalaev took off Lacerda and sent on Offor.
The logic of the change is understandable in general — the Brazilian was tiring. But Lacerda was the only Baltika player doing anything useful in the box: 6 touches in the opposition box, a goal from 0.37 xG.
Offor didn't have a single shot in 23 minutes. For a forward who comes on at 1:1, that's almost a verdict.
Baltika removed a player who knew how to make himself a nuisance in the box, and got in return...
Who was good
Lacerda
The main man in the box yesterday. One chance — one goal. Not perfect in duels, fouls sometimes, doesn't always help out at the back, but he has the quality that matters most for a forward: he shows up where a striker is supposed to show up.
Titkov
Baltika's hidden MVP.
3 chances created, 12 passes into the final third, 4 corners. He did enough for his teammates to thank him with a goal at least once. They didn't.
He can be summed up in one line: created three chances — teammates converted zero.
Anderson
Baltika's best defender. Not because he was flawless, but because against the general chaos he looked like the one man who at least understood where the fire was and which way to run with the bucket. I think his loan will be made permanent, all the more so as it's cheap — they're talking about €350k.
He had 6 tackles, 5 clearances, 3 interceptions and 14 defensive actions. Take Anderson out and this match could easily have turned not into 1:2 but into something far nastier.
Civic
Best appearance off the bench.
45 minutes, an assist, volume, movement, sensible work off the ball. Sometimes football is very simple: if a player produces more in one half than the starting option did in the entire first half, then the line-up wasn't picked quite right.
Baltika player ratings
Lyubakov — 6.0 A couple of saves of the "dear God" variety, while every pass he played along the ground dripped heart medication straight into the fans' souls. In a game where everything hinges on nuances, playing with your feet as if you're wearing construction boots is very not great. Only 6 of 16 passes were accurate, and 3 of 13 long balls 🙈
Varatynov — 5.5 On the right flank Varatynov held an open day for the opposition. Come in, whoever you like, take whatever you want. He moved the ball forward at the speed of the Russian Post — slowly, painfully and ultimately to the wrong address. Didn't convince defensively either; the draught was considerable.
Anderson — 7.0 The only sensible adult in this defensive communal flat. Worked like an elite cleaning service: mopped everything up, hoovered up other people's mistakes and heroically held the line. Without him the scoreboard would have had us sobbing.
Gassama — 5.5 With the ball — a Harvard professor; without it — a student resitting an exam. The lad clearly mixed up his position and decided he was a Brazilian playmaker rather than a centre-back. Fun idea, but the coach has gained a few grey hairs.
Beveev — 6.0 Mr Stability. No magic, no Brazilian carnival. Given the general backdrop, simply playing a normal game without gifting anything is already worth an Order of Courage in our situation. He's not going on holiday — he's off to the Russia national team.
Kovalev — 5.5 Switched on slow-mo mode from the first minutes. While Kovalev was thinking about where to move the ball, the opposition had time to discuss their holiday plans. Logically went off to rest on the bench at half-time — he gave the game about as much tempo as a snail out for a stroll.
Murid — 6.0 Ran a lot, but separately from the ball and from common sense. Collected a set of silly fouls, picked up a yellow and generally drifted with the current. Didn't score from six yards — how? No idea. He did have a decent little strike from outside the box.
Belikov — 6.5 The only one whose creative department was working in the first half. Tried to invent something, to create, but then decided life is boring without a yellow card. Spoiled his own game with it and brought his substitution closer. A shame — he started beautifully.
Petrov — 6.5 Our tireless Energizer. Ran beautifully, loudly, fired up, but in duels he got shoved aside like a schoolboy in the pie queue: 5 of 13 duels won on the ground, 1 of 4 in the air.
Titkov — 7.5 The head chef of our creativity! Crosses, delicious cut-back passes, dragging the team forward by the ears. But instead of scoring from his deliveries, his teammates decided to hold an evening of forgiveness for the opponent. You feel for Titkov, honestly — his brilliant ideas were shattered on other people's not-so-straight feet.
Lacerda — 7.5 Daddy's in the building. Scored a goal, kept the whole opposition box in fear and was generally the only forward who understood why he'd come onto the pitch. There's some thinking to do about whether to buy him or not.
Substitutes
- Civic — 7.5 Came off the bench and showed himself straight away. Registered an assist, ploughed the pitch, provided the volume and quality needed. Best performance of the evening among those who hadn't fallen asleep by the 60th minute. Top man, everything to the point.
- Yenne — 6.5 Added life and dribbling to the flank, made the opposition defenders remember they have to defend there too. Didn't turn the match around, but at least woke up the stands and made Baltika look dangerous.
- Mendel — 5.5 Came on to sort things out, restore order and keep control, but nothing came of it.
- Ryadno — 5.5 Bounced onto the pitch, then dissolved into space faster than my wife spends my salary. Memorable only for struggling in the air — every high ball sailed proudly past him.
- Offor — 5.0 The invisible forward. At the end of an even match, when you need to tear things up and shoot the opposition goal to pieces, Offor decided to play hide-and-seek. Not a single shot! But let's be honest — did that surprise anyone? 😌
After the game the team was honoured — a record after all, 6th place, on which I congratulate everyone; it was a glorious hunt! Thanks to the team, the sporting department and the coaching staff — personally I'm very pleased!
Player breakdowns, squad analysis, transfer rumours and more are coming up — oof, it's going to be interesting =))
