Golden oldies! CSKA Moscow name same defenders - with a combined age of 108 - who started vs Arsenal in 2006

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Tom Doyle5 April 2018

Most managers tend to value experience when it comes to picking defenders, but Viktor Goncharenko took things to the extremes with his CSKA Moscow defence against Arsenal.

For CSKA's Europa League quarter-final first leg tie at Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, Goncharenko named a back three of Sergei Ignashevich and the Berezutski twins - Aleksei and Vasili - who have a combined age of 108.

What is all the more remarkable is that the trio, as well as goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, also started together the last time CSKA played at the Emirates Stadium 12 years ago.

Ignashevich (38) and the Berezutski twins (both 35, obviously) helped CSKA secure a stalemate in north London back in 2006 to ensure the Russians secured four Champions League points from a possible six against the Gunners in Group G all those years ago.

Akinfeev (L), A. Berezutskiy (C) and Ignashevich (R) back in 2006
AFP/Getty Images

As for Arsenal, Petr Cech was handed a rare European start with David Ospina ruled out injured.

​Ospina has typically been preferred to the Czech veteran in European and domestic cup action but after he started Sunday's Premier League clash with Stoke, Cech was pressed into action.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette, who scored Arsenal's third goal against Stoke as a substitute, made his first start since January with Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in support.

Record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is cup-tied in Europe after featuring in the Champions League for Borussia Dortmund before Christmas.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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