Spartak Moscow now need a miracle to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. The red-and-whites suffered a shock 4-1 defeat to Dinamo Kiev, the team that was the Muscovites’ main rivals back in the days of the Soviet Championship.

45,000 spectators at the Luzhniki stadium saw Spartak, who have been struggling in recent Russian Premier League matches, fall even deeper into crisis.

But the hosts opened the scoring after nice footwork and a brilliant strike from Nikita Bazhenov after just five minutes. But their first success was also the last.

The Ukrainian team soon recovered from the shock and took full control of the game. Dinamo equalized after a blunder from Spartak and Croatia goalie, Stipe Pleticosa, leaving Bangoura to score from an open goal. 

The second goal from the Kiev team came in stoppage time of the first half. Ukraine’s rising star Artyom Milevski was the first to react to the rebound after Pleticosa saved Bangoura’s effort.

Nothing changed after the break, the Ukrainians pushed forward and Spartak players, who were without their leader and club icon, Yegor Titov, after a fall out with the coach, just didn’t know what to do. Bangoura and Milevski scored a goal each virtually assuring Dinamo Kiev’s place in the Champions League.

After the match Spartak’s new director Valery Karpin, who famously played for Spartak Moscow and Spanish clubs Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad, demanded coach Stanislav Cherchesov leave his post.