CSKA 1-0 REAL MADRID
CSKA Moscow 1-0 Real Madrid: Champions League match report
An early from from Vaslic was enough to see Real Madrid lose to CSKA Moscow in the second round of the Champions League at the Luzhniki Stadium.
CSKA Moscow 1-0 Real Madrid: match report
As far as lessons go in how to dominate every meaningful stat while losing the one that matters most, Real Madrid put on a masterclass at the Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday night in the Champions League with 21 shots and 70 percent possession against CSKA Moscow.
They dominated for almost every moment from the first until the last except for a very brief five-second spell in the second minute when a Toni Kroos backpass was jumped by Nikola Vaslic and he put CSKA ahead.
Real Madrid had chances too in that first half. Once they got to grips with CSKA's rare counter attacks and started to really dominate possession, they hit the post and the crossbar through Casemiro and Karim Benzema. It all felt to forced and frustrating, however, for a Real Madrid side who have failed to score in three games for the first time in over a decade.
The second half kicked off with more of the same and Real Madrid hit the post in that half too. It was late on though and through Mariano, who came on a second half substitute to inject pace into a stagnant attack but ended up being another body in a sea of legs, arms and torsos in CSKA's penalty area.
Shots rained from outside the box with Marco Asensio and Toni Kroos going close. There were shots that weren't close either with Asensio and Benzema bring the cuplrits of some wild efforts that were born out of a need to do something when nothing seemed available to them.
As the game ticked on, CSKA retreated further back. It got to the point where they stopped even pretending to run after the ball once they kicked it up the field.
Raphael Varane had one last chance in the dying seconds but headed wide. As time expired, the referee sent off Igor Akinfeev with two quick-fire yellows. He played on but there was no time for any more action.
Real Madrid won the possession battle but they lost the war and fall to third in their Champions League group after a tough night in Moscow. It's back to domestic competition with Alaves at the weekend for Lopetegui's side who will have to, at least, score in that game to prove they aren't immune to doing something they seemed to be able to do at will in the Champions League and beyond last season.
CSKA Moscow-Real Madrid: live
CSKA-Real Madrid: preview
Real Madrid are in the Russian capital for match-day 2 of the 2018/19 Champions League group phase as they face CSKA without Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos.
Ahead of the second group game for Madrid, CSKA's Alan Dzagoev was one of those for the home side giving the press words to write. And the midfielder wasn't buying the 'weaker' tag being labelled on their opponents:
"They say that Madrid arrive with injuries but, for me, it seems as though they have a squad for two teams."
Much has been made of Madrid's poorish start to their LaLiga campaign - and it's certainly an interesting beginning to the season - but their Russian opponents are not having an easy time of it domestically either. After nine league matches CSKA sit fourth on 16 points having won just four of their games. Zenit lead the way on 22 points with only one loss and one draw to their name.
