Alexander Mostovoy, a former player for Spartak Moscow and the Russian national team, offered sharp critique of his old club’s recent performances as Spartak prepares to close the year with a home fixture against Krylya Sovetov Samara, on the eve of the 18th round of the Russian Premier League. The outspoken assessment, attributed to Match TV, underscored a growing concern among fans and pundits about Spartak’s current trajectory and their place in the table as the season nears its conclusion.
In his remarks, Mostovoy did not mince words. He noted that from what he is seeing on the pitch today, Spartak should not be viewed as a title contender. He was unequivocal: the team is far from championship form, and a top-three finish would be unlikely under the current level of play. However, the veteran defender emphasized that the league itself is unpredictable this season, with clubs trading wins and losses in rapid succession. The implication was clear: even a string of decent results might still leave Spartak hovering around the middle of the standings rather than pushing into the elite group.
The upcoming clash between Spartak and Krylya Sovetov was scheduled for Saturday, December 9, with a 14:00 Moscow time kickoff. The match would be overseen by referee Pavel Kukuyan, while Spartak would face an additional challenge on the touchline because head coach Guillermo Abascal would be suspended, keeping him from directing the team from the dugout on that occasion. This absence added another layer of complexity to a game that fans hoped would demonstrate resilience and improvement from the home side.
Looking at the standings ahead of the 18th round, Spartak sat in seventh place with 27 points, while Krylya Sovetov trailed closely in fourth with 29 points. The gap underscored the tightness of the table and the thin margin separating teams as the season advanced. Supporters and analysts alike debated what changes might unlock Spartak’s potential and whether the club could still mount a late-season surge. The broader discussion centered on manager decisions, squad rotation, and the ability to translate training-ground ideas into sustained results on match days.
Earlier explanation for Abascal’s suspension—which kept him from leading the match—had been widely discussed among supporters and media alike. The outcome of this game, and the lessons drawn from it, were expected to influence how the team approached the remainder of the campaign. As fans prepared to assess Spartak’s progress, many stressed the importance of a clear path forward: building consistency, refining tactical execution, and restoring the competitive edge that had defined the club in past seasons. In conversations across forums and outlets, the consensus was that every point would count as the club sought to reassert itself in Russia’s top tier, even as expectations balanced between short-term results and longer-term development. Attribution: Match TV