Football
ESPN staff 7y

Igor Akinfeev keeps first Champions League clean sheet since 2006

CSKA Moscow coach Viktor Gancharenko congratulated goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev after he kept his first Champions League clean sheet for 11 years.

Akinfeev had conceded in his last 40 matches in the competition, but the 31-year-old ended that run as his side beat AEK Athens 2-0 in qualifying.

His previous clean sheet in the Champions League had come against Arsenal in November 2006.

And Gancharenko told the official CSKA website: "Of course, all the team congratulated Akinfeev. Every run has a beginning and an end. We knew that this series has to end one day.

"The players supported Akinfeev, but naturally that wasn't easy for him. Hopefully, he would feel free of the burden now. He had broken all the records, and this run had to be stopped as well".

CSKA defender Mario Fernandes added: "Igor didn't deserve this run, he is a great goalkeeper. He didn't talk about that before the game. Everyone naturally understands that the team doesn't want to concede goals" 

Goals from Alan Dzagoev and Pontus Wernbloom secured CSKA's first leg victory.

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