It has gone down to wire in the inaugural Achilles Cup  and with just one game to play the only things that are known are that Galatasaray have won the wooden spoon and that Olympiacos are in the final, whether they will finish top of the group is yet to be decided.

Besiktas  v  Olympiacos

The permutations for the three clubs in contention are limited with the required results as follows.

Olympiacos – For the Greeks they just have to avoid being beaten by Besiktas in their final fixture to finish top of the table, no one would bet against it as they are unbeaten in their previous five outings in the competition.

Besiktas – They have their destiny in their own hands but need to win against Olympiacos to progress into the final, no mean feat considering the Greeks record. A draw wouldn’t be good enough if Fenerbahce win as their Turkish rivals have a superior goal difference.

Fenerbahce – The Yellow Canaries will only be singing if they win and Besiktas lose, any other result will see them as dead as a Norwegian Blue in a Monty Pythion sketch.

Predictions?

Given Galatasarys woeful form in the competition and home advantage I would expect Fenerbahce to be too strong for their opponents and to get the win they need.

A hard one to call in the other fixture given the previously mentioned impressive record of Olympiacos, it would be a brave or foolish man to bet against them completing the group stage unbeaten. Call me a fool because I have a feeling that with home advantage and a win at all costs situation the Black Eagles may find their Greek opponents without their foot fully on the gas pedal having already qualified.

Whichever way it goes good luck to all and may the ball run true.

At the start of the evening a single point separated the top four teams and with Lokomotiv having the night off from the action it was a chance for the other three clubs to try and open up a gap at the top of the table.

This Moscow derby between the tables top two teams promised fireworks and is was aptly enough Spartak who showed most spark.

They took the lead on 10 minutes when Popov converted a penalty after a clumsy challenge by Lovren on Shirokov.

This looked by being the first of many as the CSKA defence was tested time and again by the hosts as they pushed forward. The visitors were content to counter attack whilst their back line held firm under the pressure but there chances of sneaking an equaliser evaporated in the 81^stminute when Carrillo was rightly shown a straight red after a disgraceful challenge on Shirikov.

Houston will be ecstatic as his Spartak side returned to the top of the table whilst CSKA supremo Smith will be desperately disappointed with his teams performance and the result which sees them drop out of the qualification places.

Dynamo went into the game knowing a win would take them into the top two whilst Zenit were still looking for their first point of the tournament but buoyed by their previous performance against Spartak.

Zenit fans must have feared a landslide after Dynamo took the lead on 12 minutes through Valbuena and then an own goal by Neto on 23 minutes, but Zenit are made of sterner stuff these days and pulled a goal back 2 minutes later with a Villa strike.

Davis restored the two goal lead Dynamo for the hosts a minute after the interval but Dzyuba hauled Zenit back into the game within 2 minutes.

Despite their efforts Zenit couldn’t find the equaliser which on the balance of play they will feel they deserved.

Razzaque will take his side to CSKA next week needing a win to keep up the pressure at the top, Hassan on the other hand will be looking for his sides improved performances to translate into points in the remaining two fixtures.

  

Zenit St Petersburg  v  Lokomotiv Moscow

CSKA Moscow  v  Dynamo Moscow

The penultimate game day in the Achilles Cup could have seen all matters resolved but as it turned out qualification is still on a knife edge for both Besiktas and Fenerbahce in what will be an exciting finish to the group on Match Day 6.

The Greeks went into this game knowing that a win would seal their place in the group final.

Olympiacos must have been confident of their unbeaten record standing up against the visitors winless one and so it turned out as the hosts put on a fine attacking display doubling their goal tally for the competition.

Soriano (5) and Fortounis (24) netted for the hosts before Yilmaz pulled one back for the Turks on 28 minutes. Then it became the Conca show with the Argentinian restoring the Greeks two goal advantage 12 minutes before the break and then extending it on 64 minutes. Osman looked to have restored some respectability to the score line for Gala with a strike on 82 minutes but a minute later Conca completed hi hat-trick.

Olympiacos chief McLean will be delighted to have qualified with a game to spare and will be more than pleased with the style in which it was done, seeing Conca finally find his scoring touch since his move from Shanghai will be a welcome bonus. Gala boss Prince must feel the sooner this Achilles Cup campaign finishes the better and concentration can be given fully to steering the club away from the drop zone in Division 2.

The hosts went into this game knowing anything short of a win would realistically end their ambitions of progressing in the tournament whilst the visitors were looking to book their place in the final with anything other than a defeat.

The crowd were determined to play their part with over eleven thousand roaring on their teams. If there were any nerves in either camp they didn’t show with both teams settling in well to an even first half that ended with the Fenerbahce ahead through a Schennikov goal on 13 minutes.

The hosts weren’t content to sit back and came out for the second 45 minutes with more purpose and intent. Toni doubled their lead on 53 minutes before Onazi pulled Besiktas back into the game on 62 minutes, then 10 minutes before the end Martinez sealed the win for the home side with a superb strike to the delight and relief of the Yellow Caries supporters.

Fenerbahce gaffer Brown knows that qualification isn’t in their own hands but must go into their last game against Galatasaray with confidence meanwhile opposite number Vogeleer knows his Besiktas side must match or better Fenerbahces result next week if they are to progress.

Besiktas  v  Olympiacos

Fenerbahce  v  Galatasaray

CSKA Moscow had the night off in the Putin Cup and Manager Smith will no doubt have been a happy man watching the results come in as his team remain top of the pile with the chasing pack concertinaing up behind.

Both clubs had the opportunity to jump into top spot going into this fixture and it proved to weigh heavy on the players in a nervy Moscow derby.

Dynamo had the better of the first half with CSKA keeper Guilherme pulling off saves from Adam, Ari, Ionov and Wesley whilst a sole effort from Soldado was the only real action Victor saw in the Lokomotiv goal.

The hosts faired better in the second half with Zurtuza and couple of efforts from Mamaev keeping Victor on his toes whilst Loko failed to register a single effort on target.

Both Owen and Razzaque will be disappointed not to be heading the table but will accept that a draw was a fair result on the overall balance of play which keeps both teams firmly in with a chance of progressing.

Zenit went into this game playing for pride whilst Spartak were hoping to regain ground at the top of the table that they had lost in recent weeks, in the end both Managers will believe they achieved their objectives.

Zenit took the lead on 12 minutes when Danny latched onto a through ball from Perez and placed his shot just beyond the despairing dive of Alvarado.

Lodygin in the Zenit goal made fine stops from Berg and twice from Costa before Alvarado was called into action again to prevent Danny from doubling his tally.

It looked like Zenit would make it to the break with their lead in tact but on 38 minutes Perez squared the ball to Shirikov who unleashed an unstoppable effort from outside the box which Lodygin could nothing but admire as the ball sailed past him into the net and sent the teams in at half time all square.

Spartak started the second half on the front foot and nearly stole the lead in 52 minutes when Promes whipped in a free kick which Soudani met on the full only to see Lodygin tip past the post.

The same pair combined again 4 minutes later to put Spartak into the lead, this time Soudani feeding Promes whose strong diagonal run into the right hand side of the area ended with a well placed effort that Lodgyin this time could do nothing about.

But Zenit weren’t prepared to lay down and their fighting spirit was rewarded on 69 minutes when Dzyuba met a cross from Kiyotake and planted his header passed Alvarado for the equaliser.

The home crowd had hardly finished celebrating when 2 minutes later Promes hammered a free kick through the jumping defensive wall and passed a despairing Lodygin.

This time Zenit had no response and Spartak comfortably saw out the remainder of the game with Alvarado not being called into action again.

Zenit boss Hassan will be pleased with the heart and at times enterprise shown by his players but knows the result now ends any faint hopes that may have lingered of progressing, his opposite number Houston will be buoyed by the steel his side showed in the face of determined opponents to grind out a win that puts them level on points but in second place to CSKA on goal difference who they meet next week.

Spartak Moscow  v CSKA Moscow

Dynamo Moscow v Zenit