Rubin Draws With Inter, Misses Opportunity For Three

At the end of the match, the announcers hailed Rubin’s draw as a moral victory – the club’s first every Champions League points. In the big picture that’s a fair assessment, but big pictures miss all those nasty details that tend to give us a more accurate view of an event. This event – yesterday’s Matchday 2 of Champions League – was a disappointment for Rubin.

Chronologically, let’s start at the end, with the result. Rubin’s 1-1 draw against Italian champions Internazionale Milano leaves them in last place of their group with 1/3 of the schedule played. What’s more: They have yet to play group favorites and defending champions F.C. Barcelona, from whom they can expect no points. Given that there are only two other matches to play, from which Rubin can get a maximum six points, the Russian champions will now need to do the unexpected. Last season, no team advanced to the knock-out stage with seven points.

That makes the points lost Tuesday even more missed. Rubin again jumped out early (we’ll get to that in a second), but when Inter forward Mario Balotelli was dismissed in the sixtieth minute, Rubin should have been able to get three points. The match was tied at the time, giving Rubin a little over half-an-hour to find a winner. If you are in Champions League and you can not find a goal with that much time up a man, you probably do not deserve to advance.

And then there was Inter’s equalizer, a well taken header from midfielder Dejan Stankovic to finish off a cross from right back Maicon. Rubin, despite surrounding Maicon with three men, gave Maicon too much tim and space to get his cross in. Once he did, he found a man completely unmarked. Like most goals, Inter’s was the result of a series of breakdowns, but the room Stankovic had to execute his header deserves note. Where was right back Lasha Salukvadze? If Macbath Sibaya were available, would Stankovic been marked? Regardless, nobody was marking at the far post, and Internzaionale got a well-deserved goal.

The goal was a culmination for fifteen minutes were Inter dominated play, a stretch that came right after another great goal from Alejandro Dominguez. If that sequence sounds familiar, it is because that is what happened in Kiev two weeks ago. Dominguez got an early goal, Rubin went into a shell, and the champions ended up dropping points. Why does this happen? Are Rubin intimidated, and when they go up a goal they start to hold on, figuring themselves fortunate to be in such a situation? Given their talent and how they played over the summer, they have no need to feel this way. Why isn’t Rubin playing with more confidence, particularly when they’re ahead?

Again in this match, Alejandro Dominguez provided the goal. Aleksandr Bukharov was active and Sergei Semak had his chances, but ultimately Dominguez was the only attacking presence to produce. Is this another sign of Rubin’ inexperience? Dominguez, with Zenit last season, has been through this before. Is that what’s distinguishing him from his teammates?

Rubin did get a point from Internazionale, one of the storied clubs of Europe. When people look back on this result, the details discussed here will be forgotten. But Rubin should have had three points. They scored the first goal, and then again retreated. Their defense failed them on the goal allowed, but they got a break when they went up a man. Unfortunately, they were unable to take advantage of it, and because they’ve dropped points at home, lost in Kyiv, and have still to face Barcelona, focus needs to shift to finishing in third and making Europa League.