# 1987 Soviet Top League

In the 1987 season, the Soviet Top League – the top tier of football in the Soviet Union – was won by Spartak Moscow interrupting the two year championship run of the Kyiv's team. Dynamo Kyiv, the defending 12-times champions, placed sixth and failed to qualify for the European competitions, while their rivals Dynamo Moscow placed only 10th.
This season CSKA Moscow were relegated on additional criteria when they tied on points with Zenit Leningrad at the final standing.

## Teams
### Promoted teams

* FC CSKA Moscow – champion (returning after two seasons)
* FC Guria Lanchkhuti – 2nd place (debut)

### Location
## Final standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Spartak Moscow (C) | 30 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 49 | 26 | +23 | 42 | Qualification for European Cup first round |
| 2 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 42 | 22 | +20 | 39 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Žalgiris Vilnius | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 43 | 29 | +14 | 36 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Torpedo Moscow | 30 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 35 | 25 | +10 | 34 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Dinamo Minsk | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 33 | 25 | +8 | 33 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Dynamo Kyiv | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 32 | |
| 7 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 31 | −2 | 30 | |
| 8 | Ararat Yerevan | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 32 | 45 | −13 | 29 | |
| 9 | Neftchi Baku | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 33 | 30 | +3 | 28 | |
| 10 | Dinamo Moscow | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 27 | 30 | −3 | 28 | |
| 11 | Metalist Kharkiv | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 23 | 32 | −9 | 27 | Qualification for Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 12 | Kairat Alma-Ata | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 38 | −11 | 26 | |
| 13 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 31 | 40 | −9 | 25 | |
| 14 | Zenit Leningrad | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 25 | 37 | −12 | 24 | |
| 15 | CSKA Moscow (R) | 30 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 26 | 35 | −9 | 24 | Relegation to First League |
| 16 | Guria Lanchkhuti (R) | 30 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 38 | −20 | 18 | Relegation to First League |
* 1 2 3 1 point deducted (10 draw limited)
* ↑ 2 points deducted (10 draw limited)
* 1 2 Neftchi had more head-to-head points than Dynamo Moscow
* 1 2 Zenit had more head-to-head points than CSKA
Promotion
* Lokomotiv Moscow ( Russian SFSR)
* Chornomorets Odessa ( Ukrainian SSR)

## Results

| Home \ Away | ARA | CSK | DNI | DYK | DMN | DYN | DTB | GUR | KAI | MKH | NEF | SHA | TOR | SPA | ŽAL | ZEN |
| Ararat Yerevan | | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 |
| CSKA Moscow | 1–0 | | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Dnipro | 2–0 | 0–0 | | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 6–1 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 7–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 |
| Dinamo Minsk | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 5–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | | 2–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Guria Lanchkhuti | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Kairat Alma-Ata | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 |
| Metalist Kharkiv | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Neftçi Baku | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 6–0 | 1–2 | | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Torpedo Moscow | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Spartak Moscow | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | | 3–0 | 1–3 |
| Žalgiris Vilnius | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 5–2 | | 1–0 |
| Zenit Leningrad | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–0 | |

## Top scorers
### 18 goals

* Oleh Protasov (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk)

### 16 goals

* Arminas Narbekovas (Žalgiris)

### 12 goals

* Fyodor Cherenkov (Spartak Moscow)
* Sergei Rodionov (Spartak Moscow)

### 10 goals

* Georgi Kondratyev (Dinamo Minsk)
* Yuri Savichev (Torpedo Moscow)

### 9 goals

* Alexei Mikhailichenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
* Yevstafi Pekhlevanidi (Kairat)
* Ramaz Shengelia (Dynamo Tbilisi)

### 8 goals

* Ihor Belanov (Dynamo Kyiv)

## Clean sheets
### 15 matches

* Andrei Satsunkevich (Dinamo Minsk)

### 14 matches

* Rinat Dasayev (Spartak Moscow)

### 10 matches

* Viktor Chanov (Dynamo Kyiv)

### 6 matches

* Vyacheslav Chanov (CSKA Moscow)

### 4 matches

* Dmitri Kharine (Dynamo Moscow)

### 3 matches

* Aleksandr Zhidkov (Neftchi Baku)
* Jurkus Vatslovas (Zalgiris Vilnius)
* Serhiy Zolotnytskyi (Shakhtar Donetsk)

## Medal squads

(league appearances and goals listed in brackets)
* 1. FC Spartak Moscow
* Goalkeepers: Rinat Dasayev (29), Stanislav Cherchesov (2).
* Defenders: Vagiz Khidiyatullin (29 / 3), Aleksandr Bubnov (28 / 1), Yuri Susloparov (23), Boris Kuznetsov (19), Almir Kayumov (18), Aleksandr Bokiy (15), Yuri Surov (8).
* Midfielders: Fyodor Cherenkov (27 / 12), Viktor Pasulko (26 / 7), Aleksandr Mostovoi (18 / 6), Yevgeni Kuznetsov (17), Aleksei Yeryomenko (11 / 1), Sergei Novikov (9), Babken Melikian (8 / 1), Andrei Mitin (8), Vladimir Kapustin (3).
* Forwards: Sergey Rodionov (26 / 12), Valeri Shmarov (26 / 5), Mikheil Meskhi (16 / 1), Oleg Kuzhlev (3), Andrei Rudakov (2), Mikhail Rusyayev (2), Viktor Kolyadko (1).
* Manager: Konstantin Beskov.
* Transferred out during the season: Aleksei Yeryomenko (to FC Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don), Babken Melikian (to FC Kotayk Abovian), Andrei Rudakov (to FC Torpedo Moscow), Mikhail Rusyayev (to FC Lokomotiv Moscow), Viktor Kolyadko (to FC Terek Grozny).
* 2. FC Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk
* Goalkeepers: Valeriy Horodov (28), Serhiy Krakovskyi (2).
* Defenders: Sergei Bashkirov (30), Ivan Vyshnevskyi (29 / 1), Oleksiy Cherednyk (29), Serhiy Puchkov (20), Oleksandr Sorokalet (17), Volodymyr Gerashchenko (2), Oleksandr Lysenko (2), Oleh Fediukov (1).
* Midfielders: Hennadiy Lytovchenko (28 / 6), Vadym Tyshchenko (26 / 3), Anton Shokh (25 / 3), Mykola Kudrytsky (15), Volodymyr Bahmut (10).
* Forwards: Oleh Protasov (30 / 18), Oleh Taran (29 / 6), Yevhen Shakhov (28 / 3), Volodymyr Lyutyi (27 / 1), Vasyl Storchak (9 / 1).
* Manager: Yevhen Kucherevskyi.
* Transferred out during the season: none.
* 3. FK Žalgiris Vilnius
* Goalkeepers: Vaclovas Jurkus (18), Almantas Kalinauskas (13).
* Defenders: Vyacheslav Sukristov (29 / 6), Sigitas Jakubauskas (29 / 2), Romas Mažeikis (29), Arvydas Janonis (29), Igoris Pankratjevas (27 / 3), Vladimiras Buzmakovas (23), Robertas Tautkus (9), Arūnas Žėkas (2).
* Midfielders: Vidmantas Rasiukas (30 / 1), Valdas Ivanauskas (25 / 7), Algimantas Mackevičius (20 / 2), Virginijus Baltušnikas (4), Viktoras Bridaitis (4), Stasys Tamulevičius (2).
* Forwards: Arminas Narbekovas (30 / 16), Stasys Baranauskas (28 / 5), Kęstutis Ruzgys (23 / 1), Gintaras Kviliūnas (5), Gediminas Sugzda (2), Robertas Fridrikas (1).
* Manager: Benjaminas Zelkevičius.
* Transferred out during the season: none.

## Number of teams by union republic

| Rank | Union republic | Number of teams | Club(s) |
| 1 | RSFSR | 5 | CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Torpedo Moscow, Zenit Leningrad |
| 2 | Ukrainian SSR | 4 | Dinamo Kiev, Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk, Metallist Kharkov, Shakhter Donetsk |
| 3 | Georgian SSR | 2 | Dinamo Tbilisi, Guria Lanchkhuti |
| 4 | Armenian SSR | 1 | Ararat Yerevan |
| 4 | Azerbaijan SSR | 1 | Neftchi Baku |
| 4 | Belarusian SSR | 1 | Dinamo Minsk |
| 4 | Kazakh SSR | 1 | Kairat Alma-Ata |
| 4 | Lithuanian SSR | 1 | Zhalgiris Vilnius |