[NoSkillz]

Tue. November 4, 2025

UEFA Champions League - Group D
Spartak Moscow (1-2-0, 5 points, 2nd) vs. Dover (1-1-1, 4 points, 3rd)
Spartak, Moscow

Betting Odds: Spartak Moscow: 13-8 Draw: 2-1 Dover: 6-4 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 0W 1D 0L

Spartak play very close to the vest and their pitch is narrow so I will need to do something to generate offence. Star defender Eddie Hurrell is back for them but they are missing a couple other key defenders in Rogerio and Javier Garcia. Alexandr Streltsov is their key man up front.

We are slight favourites today and we desperately need a win to get ahead of these guys. I’m going to go out on a limb and play a counter attacking mentality to start in hopes of getting them out of their shell a bit. Rafinha draws in at left midfield today, as Arsene Bamba isn’t eligible to play in this stage and Mads Pedersen is still injured.

Dover: 4-4-2 Counter
GK - I. Wilke
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - Rafinha, B. Raab, Jose, G. Bolis
S - P. Moses, Chiquinho
Bench - R. Lopez, M. Mutesa, E. Harvey, N. Cairney, S. De la Vega, J. Langlet, A. Broomes

Flat 4-4-2 as expected for Moscow, with Streltsov and Caca up front and Danilo in goal. I boldly tell the team I expect a win today.

4’ - A NIGHTMARE START, as Moscow work a ball into the area off a throw in and there is defender Nils Haufe, way up in the box and he taps the ball past Wilke and in. Oh my goodness. SPARTAK MOSCOW GOAL 0-1

12’ - NOT GOOD. I move to a control mentality already.

15’ - We have a free kick and the ball is cleared out to safety. Claudio Contreras has it and works it in to Chiquinho, who turns and sends a delightful ball into the box to Gianluca Bolis and our winger is able to slot the ball past Danilo and it’s IN! We pull level!!! DOVER GOAL 1-1

34’ - YES! We have a corner and Benedikt Raab’s cross is headed in by Contreras! He has three goals in two games and we LEAD! DOVER GOAL 2-1

45’+1 - We score on a beautiful passing play but the goal is called back due to a foul on Paul Moses. DAMN! No goal.

HALFTIME - We were much better after the tactics change and go into half with 55% of possession and an 11-8 (2-3 on target) shot advantage. I’ll stick with a control mentality for now. I encourage the players to keep going!

54’ - He have a throw in and the ball comes to Renato Gaucho. Our left fullback sends a cross into the area and there is Bolis, completely unmarked and he easily taps in his second of the game. HOLY CRAP! DOVER GOAL 3-1

64’ - I normally wouldn’t take out a guy with two goals but Bolis is banged up after a challenge and also has a yellow card so I pull him out and bring in Sergio De la Vega.

69’ - Now Jose gets tackled hard and has the cross of doom above his head. He can continue but I arrange to take him off anyway, as his fitness is suffering. As we wait for the change, play continues and it’s Rafinha taking a pass and dribbling into the area but he’s tackled down. That’s a PENALTY!! Up steps Raab and he makes no mistake and we lead by three goals!!! DOVER GOAL 4-1

73’ - I pull back a bit into a counter attacking mentality. We don’t need any careless yellows here.

74’ - Rafinha tries to make a pass into the area but it deflects off a Spartak defender and is loose. Two other defenders converge on the ball and they get tangled up, allowing Paul Moses to pounce on the loose ball and immediately it’s sent past Danilo and IN! DOVER GOAL 5-1

76’ - We make our last substitution, taking out Renato Gaucho and bringing in U18 midfielder Jonathan Langlet. Rafinha drops back to left fullback.

Awesome win.

Spartak Moscow 1 - 5 Dover
Goals - Gianluca Bolis 2 (8.8), Claudio Contreras (8.9), Benedikt Raab (8.7), Paul Moses (8.2)
Assists - Renato Gaucho (7.6), Benedikt Raab, Rafinha (8.0), Chiquinho (8.7)
Man of the Match - Claudio Contreras
Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.5), Salim Loucif (7.1), Rayane Hamon (7.7)
Attendance - 43,742

We are back in control of our own destiny, as we hold 53% of the ball and a 24-11 (8-4 on target) shot advantage. Whew! Well played lads!

-- We earn £696,000 for the win.

-- Real Madrid defeat Maribor 6-0 to hold onto top spot in the group.

-- Jose suffers a bruised rib and will miss about a week. Not a big deal - he may be ready for our next match, which is eight days away. DOVER INJURY: Jose - Bruised Ribs (5-7 days)



Dover Reserves Update

-- We are able to start a pretty strong reserves team and as a result, win 6-0 over Aston Villa’s reserves. Manuel Lugo was tremendous in scoring a hat trick and we get singles from Mwemere Mutesa, Zoltan Bardi and a Adam Platnauer own goal. Bardi and young Jonathan Langlet notched two assists as well.



Dover U18 Update

-- Bakary Kone and Fernando Estrada score twice and Juan Jose Culebras notches a single in a 5-0 win over Southampton’s U18s. In nine games, our U18 club is 9-0-0, has scored 49 goals and allowed ONE. We have amazing talent down there.

-- Later in the week, we DESTROY Leyton Orient’s U18s 9-0!! Kone scores FOUR, Estrada scores three and Michel Benard bags a brace. Benard also notches three assists and Estrada nabs two. Wild.



Premier League Update

-- There’s a pretty full schedule of Saturday action but we have the weekend off. Hull hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw, United beat Huddersfield 2-1, Sheffield Wednesday win 2-0 over Newcastle, Liverpool beat Wolves 1-0 and Sunderland can only manage a 1-1 draw against cellar-dwellers Sheffield United.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 11 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Dover - 30 points (after 10 games)
2. Manchester City - 26 points
3. Manchester United - 26 points
4. Liverpool - 21 points
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5. Sunderland - 18 points (after 10 games)
6. Sheffield Wednesday - 17 points
7. Huddersfield - 17 points
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International Update

-- We have 29 (!!) players called up for international duty next week.



Injury Update

-- Mads Pedersen returns to full training after missing three weeks with a pulled hamstring.



Premier League Update

-- There are three Tuesday games and we see Chelsea lose again, this time 1-0 to Villa, United knock off Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 and Arsenal cool off Wolves 1-0.



Bonus Clause Money IN

-- We pick up £50,000 from Modena after Marcel Quade plays his tenth game of the season.



Next Up

-- After a nice break, we’re back at home in Premier League action, facing newly promoted Birmingham City.