ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia, July 14 (R-Sport) - Not content with his team’s 3-0 humbling of Zenit St. Petersburg in the season-opening Russian Super Cup, CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky criticized his strikers for missing chances that could have made the thrashing even heavier.
Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda, who is close to leaving for AC Milan, scored a brace and captain Sergei Ignashevich added another in a convincing win that gave CSKA a domestic treble.
Among several players to miss chances was striker Vagner Love, who rattled the crossbar with a volley, while pacy Nigerian Ahmed Musa stumbled while in behind the Zenit back line.
“I was left wanting more from our level of converting chances. We didn’t convert several 100 percent chances,” Slutsky said, adding that CSKA’s midfield also held onto the ball too long rather than taking opportunities to slice open Zenit.
Despite his peeves, Slutsky said he was satisfied with CSKA’s showing overall.
“I’m very happy that betting on an early goal worked out, and after scoring a goal things became easier. Overall, I think we deserved the win,” he said. “We are the leaders in Russian football, judging by results.”
Slutsky also declared himself “satisfied” with Swiss winger Steven Zuber, who was a threatening presence on the left flank in his first game since signing from Grasshopper Zurich last week.
The game, pitting last season's league winners against the Cup champions, precedes the start of the new Russian Premier League season Sunday.
CSKA did the double last term so the second slot for the game in Rostov-on-Don went to league runners-up Zenit.
CSKA played without Brazilian defender Mario Fernandes and the injured duo of Serbian midfielder Zoran Tosic and Ivorian striker Seydou Doumbia.
The champions start the defense of their league title Wednesday evening, when they hope to give newly promoted Ural Yekaterinburg a baptism of fire.
