Krasnodar vs. Everton: Winners and Losers from Europa League Game
Everton started poorly but fought back bravely in Russia, where they ended up earning a 1-1 draw with Krasnodar on Thursday.
Ari put the hosts in front after evading Phil Jagielka in the 43rd minute, but former Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o found the back of the net in his return to Russia with just eight minutes remaining—ensuring a split of the points at Stadion Kuban.
Following are some of the winners and losers from the encounter.
Winner: Samuel Eto'o, Who Scored a Late Equaliser
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Samuel Eto'o scored 36 goals in parts of three seasons while at Anzhi Makhachkala, and on Thursday he found the back of the net in his first game back in Russia since leaving the club in August 2013.
Latching on to Leighton Baines' in-swinging cross, the Cameroonian striker was able to convert at the far post and seal an important draw for Everton.
The goal was Eto'o's 45th in European competition and second since joining the Toffees during the summer.
Loser: Phil Jagielka, Who Allowed Ari to Ghost Past Him for the Opener
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Everton almost made it out of the first half without conceding a goal, but in the 43rd minute Krasnodar striker Ari was able to ghost into the goalmouth and beat Tim Howard from close in.
Toffees defender Phil Jagielka, who seemed to be preoccupied with Mauricio Pereyra, accidentally played the Brazilian in to score.
Thankfully for the England international, he redeemed himself midway through the second half with an absolutely vital block just steps away from the goal line.
Winners: The Goalkeepers, Who Put on Quite the Show
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Both goalkeepers were in fine form, Thursday, and did well to limit the opposition to just a single goal apiece.
Everton's Tim Howard was the first of the shot-stoppers to be called into action—the 35-year-old stretching himself to deny Marat Izmailov's well-placed effort.
But Andrey Dikan, too, made several vital saves, the most notable of which prevented Romelu Lukaku heading in a late winner.
Winner: Odil Ahmedov, Who Ran the Show at Times for Krasnodar
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Another former Anzhi Makhachkala player, Odil Ahmedov tends to fly under the radar with Krasnodar and Uzbekistan—his national team.
But on Thursday the 26-year-old left quite the impression in the Europa League as he ran the hosts' buildup plays and was always sure to lend a hand on the defensive side of the ball as well.
At the final whistle Ahmedov had taken three shots and thrown himself into a pair of important tackles (statistics courtesy WhoScored.com).
Loser: Wanderson, Who Quite Nearly Scored an Absolute Stunner
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Although Ari was preferred to Wanderson to start the match, Krasnodar manager Aleh Konanaw inserted the 28-year-old into the encounter just after the hour-mark and was quite nearly repaid with a quick goal.
And what a goal it would have been.
With the ball seemingly on a string, Wanderson dribbled through at least four Everton players before releasing a shot through a crowd of white shirts, only to be denied by the crossbar.
Winners: Sergey Galitsky and Aleh Konanaw, Who Have a Good Thing Going
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Krasnodar chairman Sergey Galitsky espouses positive, attractive football, and manager Aleh Konanaw obliges by encouraging his players to play a possession-oriented, free-flowing game.
Krasnodar had Everton on the back foot for extended spells on Thursday, and but for a lack of finishing they might easily have claimed all three points.
Presently sixth in the Russian Premier League, the six-year-old club will surely be a mainstay of European football for a long time to come.
