Preview: Russian Premier League. Matchday 15
CSKA, Zenit, and Rubin have done everything during the June marathon to make the table lose its exotic look. Anzhi failed to perform in the clutch: the defeat at the hands of the Red Army club was followed by a draw with Amkar in Perm. Now it all looks like the leaders will strengthen their positions.
The Kazan club has to play Volga at home. Dmitry Cheryshev should have regretted that he had come to Nizhny Novgorod on these days, rather than during the summer break. Now he is close to begin his independent coaching career with two defeats.
Zenit will host the weakened Kuban. As it has turned out, two Krasnodar teams can’t play well simultaneously – they’d rather impress the public by turns. Anzhi will go to Samara, where Krylia Sovetov are definitely in need of points. However, a defeat will not be a tragedy for the Wings, as their neighbors at the league’s bottom don’t seem to be too agile in that either.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday Moscow will see twice as many flares and fireworks as there are during a typical matchday – the capital and its suburbs will host two derbies at once.
Match of the day
CSKA Moscow – Lokomotiv Moscow. Three successive victories turned out to be enough for CSKA to grab the leadership and even set some safety margin. The club’s stars who appeared to be looking for a move away in the summer, did not just stop goofing off, but even started to be really useful. There is hardly something able to prevent CSKA from keeping the pace until summer break. While there is a chance, they should collect all the points available. Moreover, the team is not under pressure in any way. Even in case of a defeat, CSKA will still be the leader in terms of points lost.
Meanwhile, Lokomotiv’s current state causes some anxiety. On the one hand, the Railwaymen have a chance to immediately rehabilitate themselves for the defeat in the previous Moscow derby against Spartak. On the other hand, there is a fear that Loko will once again squander ten goalscoring opportunities and lose the game in two minutes. After all, the players at Vladimir Maminov’s disposal are mostly young and instability is characteristic for them. Thus, the upcoming match will make it clear, whether the team can proudly say they are as manly and cool as their president Olga Smorodskaya. For now it seems that when it comes to these qualities the players aren’t in the same street as her.
Worth having a look
Spartak Moscow – Dynamo Moscow. Sergey Fursenko has scared the fans with his threats to have this match held in front of empty stands. However, those familiar with the structure of the Russian FA have immediately understood that nothing of that kind would ever happen. The matter is that such issues are a prerogative of the Disciplinary Committee, whose members got used to assembling only on Wednesdays and moving their meeting to an earlier date is in fact impossible. The Committee wouldn’t even have a chance to deprive Spartak of their spectators for the next game.
While Spartak owe their last match victory to luck, Dynamo have been working hard to atone for the defeat against Rubin. The White-and-Blues have scored three goals into Tom’s net – exactly the number of goals they conceded in Kazan. Afterwards Sergey Silkin, under whom the club gained 16 points in 9 matches, became a full-fledged head coach leaving out the word «interim» from his title.
The upcoming derby is not only remarkable for the historical opposition of the two clubs and the various individual duels of their former players (Kombarov brothers vs. Dynamo, Alexander Samedov vs. Spartak), but also has a tournament importance. Spartak and Dynamo are direct competitors and each of them has an opportunity to improve its position in the table and push the opponent down at a single sweep.
Debut
Andrey Talalaev, considered to be one of the most promising young Russian coaches, will at last have a chance to prove himself at a serious level, after he agreed to train Rostov’s main team. Talalaev thus became ‘the caretaker’s caretaker’, as his interim predecessor Vladimir Lyuty cracked under the strain and was dismissed by the club’s board.
Talalaev has already worked with the Russian U-20 national teams, but is most known and remembered for his appearances on various analytical TV programs. He thoroughly analyzed football matches, offering, seemingly, the most logical ways to solve the problems of the Russian teams, and boasted about his knowledge of young players’ psychology. Now with his vast store of theoretical knowledge Talalaev has got into the real combat conditions. On Wednesday afternoon he will have to give Rostov players the right pre-match instructions about how they should beat Tom away from home.
Keep an eye on
Kuban forward Lacina Traore became the best player of the first 14 matchdays in the Russian championship, according to Sports.ru users. The player whose average mark for the game is as high as seven, by a happy coincidence drives across Krasnodar in a Russian car Zhiguli, most known as ‘Model Seven’. It would be logical if Dmitry Sychev (average mark – 5.5) used a Zhiguli ‘Model Five’ – but the rumor has it he drives a BMW M6.
Bet of the day
FC Krasnodar gathered way in June having won three games in a row, while Terek had to sack Ruud Gullit and to begin everything anew. Slavoljub Muslin’s team are likely to have enough strength for one more victory (bookmakers’ odds – 2.2), which would let them leave their city rivals Kuban behind.
Quote
«I liked the atmosphere at the Lokomotiv – Spartak game more than the atmosphere in England. Yeah, really, the support is better in Cherkizovo!» said Martin Jiranek, thus becoming, perhaps, the first player to regret leaving Russia for England.
Figure
6,830,000 roubles (€170,000) in fines have paid the Russian clubs for the use of fireworks by their fans in stadiums.
Tom Tomsk – Rostov Rostov-on-Don
June 22. Trud Stadium (Tomsk), 15.30 MSK.
Referee: Vitaly Meshkov (Dmitrov).
Injuries: Klimov, Tigorev / Boussaidi, Yankov, Lejsal, Radic.
Suspensions: none.
Tom (Sports.ru version): Botviniev – Gultyaev, Sabitov, Jokic, Skoblyakov – Golyshev, Kim, Balyaikin, Bazhenov – Starikov, Kanunnikov.
Rostov (Sports.ru version): Kochenkov – Khagush, Salata, Okoronkwo, Khokhlov – Kalachyov, Rebko, Gatcan, O. Ivanov, Cesnauskis – Adamov.
Last matches: + – = = – / + = – – -
Last year’s matches: 2:0 (Rostov-on-Don), 3:1 (Tomsk).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Tom – 2.1, draw – 3.3, Rostov – 3.95.
Amkar Perm – Spartak Nalchik
June 22. Zvezda Stadium (Perm), 17.45 MSK.
Referee: Maxim Layushkin (Moscow).
Injuries: Narubin, Topchu / Jovanovic, Pomazan, Ovsienko.
Suspensions: none / Siradze.
Amkar (Sports.ru version): Khamutovsky – Sirakov, Belorukov, Popov, Fedoriv – Peev, Kolomeitsev, Mijajlovic, Grishin – Burmistrov, Ristic.
Spartak Nalchik (Sports.ru version): Fredrikson – Bagaev, Kulikov, Djudovic, Lebedev – Leandro, Kontsedalov, Berkhamov, Zahirovic, Pilipchuk – Portnyagin.
Last matches: – + – + = / = = – – -
Last year’s matches: 1:2 (Nalchik), 3:1 (Perm).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Amkar – 1.9, draw – 3.4, Spartak Nalchik – 4.75.
Spartak Moscow – Dynamo Moscow
June 22. Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow), 18.45 MSK.
Referee: Sergey Karasyov (Moscow).
Injuries: McGeady / Kolodin.
Suspensions: none.
Spartak Moscow (Sports.ru version): Dikan – Parshivlyuk, S. Rodriguez, Bryzgalov, D. Kombarov – K. Kombarov, Sheshukov, Makhmudov, Ananidze – Welliton, Dzyuba.
Dynamo (Sports.ru version): Shunin – Wilkshire, L. Fernandez, Granat, Lomic – Samedov, Sapeta, Semshov, Kokorin – Voronin, Kuranyi.
Last matches: + – = = + / + + = – +
Last year’s matches: 0:1 (Moscow), 1:1 (Khimki).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Spartak – 2.7, draw – 3.3, Dynamo – 2.8.
Rubin Kazan – Volga Nizhny Novgorod
June 22. Tsentralny Stadium (Kazan), 18.45 MSK.
Referee: Stanislav Sukhina (Malakhovka).
Injuries: Carlos Eduardo, Orekhov, Karadeniz, Dyadyun / Gaal, Plesan, Khodzhava, Yashin.
Suspensions: none / Getigezhev, Gogua, Salukvadze (agreement provision).
Rubin (Sports.ru version): Ryzhikov – Kuzmin, Bocchetti, C. Navas, Ansaldi – Ryazantsev, Natkho, Bystrov – Kislyak, Medvedev, Lebedenko.
Volga (Sports.ru version): Abaev – Leilton, Bendz, Aravin, Grigalava – Burchenkov, Adzhindzhal, Zyuzin, Tursunov – Martsvaladze, Khazov.
Last matches: = + = + + / = – + – -
Last year’s matches: did not meet.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Rubin – 1.3, draw – 5.4, Volga – 13.
Krylia Sovetov Samara – Anzhi Makhachkala
June 22. Metallurg Stadium (Samara), 19.30 MSK.
Referee: Almir Kayumov (Moscow).
Injuries: Joseph-Reinette, Kuznetsov / Jucilei, Tardelli.
Suspensions: none.
Krylia Sovetov (Sports.ru version): M’Bolhi – Tsallagov, Kontsedalov, Djordjevic, Novitsky – Samsonov, Sosnin, Taranov, Yeliseyev – Pecnik, Savin.
Anzhi (Sports.ru version): Revishvili – Angbwa, Tagirbekov, Joao Carlos, Agalarov – Ahmedov, Roberto Carlos, Boussoufa – Holenda, Lakhiyalov, M. Gadzhiev.
Last matches: – = – + – / – + + – =
Last year’s matches: 0:0 (Makhachkala), 3:0 (Samara).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Krylia Sovetov – 3.67, draw – 3.12, Anzhi – 2.28.
CSKA Moscow – Lokomotiv Moscow
June 22. Arena Khimki (Khimki), 20.00 MSK.
Referee: Yuri Baskakov (Moscow).
Injuries: M. Gonzalez, Shchennikov, Necid / Tarasov.
Suspensions: none / Guilherme.
CSKA (Sports.ru version): Akinfeev – Nababkin, Ignashevich, V. Berezutsky, A. Berezutsky – Honda, Mamayev, Aldonin, Dzagoev – Doumbia, Vagner Love.
Lokomotiv (Sports.ru version): Filtsov – Shishkin, Ilic, Durica, Yanbaev – Ozdoev, Ibricic, Glushakov, Torbinsky – Sychev, Maicon.
Last matches: + = + + + / = – = + -
Last year’s matches: 1:1 (Moscow), 0:1 (Moscow).
Odds by Marathon Betting: CSKA – 1.82, draw – 3.6, Lokomotiv – 4.9.
Zenit St. Petersburg – Kuban Krasnodar
June 22. Petrovsky Stadium (St. Petersburg), 21.00 MSK.
Referee: Mikhail Vilkov (Nizhny Novgorod).
Injuries: Shirokov, Bystrov, Hubocan / Zhilyaev, Tsoraev.
Suspensions: none / Varga, Armas.
Zenit (Sports.ru version): Malafeev – Anyukov, Lombaerts, B. Alves, Lukovic – Zyryanov, Semak, Denisov – Danny, Kerzhakov, Lazovic.
Kuban (Sports.ru version): Budakov – Zhavnerchik, Rogochy, Zelao, Kozlov – Paderin, Kulik, Tlisov, Ne, Maximov – L. Traore.
Last matches: – + = + + / = = + – -
Last year’s matches: did not meet.
Odds by Marathon Betting: the Zenith victory – 1.27, draw – 5.8, Kuban – 14.
FC Krasnodar – Terek Grozny
June 22. Kuban Stadium (Krasnodar), 21.00 MSK.
Referee: Sergey Lapochkin (St. Petersburg).
Injuries: Shipitsyn, Martynovich, Picusceac / Essame, Edilov, Ediev.
Suspensions: Tubic / none.
Krasnodar (Sports.ru version): Gorodov – Markov, Amisulashvili, Vranjes, Andjelkovic – Tatarchuk, Kulchy, Drincic, R. Vorobyov, Joaozinho – Movsisyan.
Terek (Sports.ru version): Dzhanaev – Utsiev, Ferreira, Omelyanchuk, Yatchenko – Georgiev, Mauricio, Pavlenko, Gvazava – Bracamonte, Asildarov.
Last matches: – – + + + / + = – – +
Last year’s matches: did not meet.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Krasnodar – 2.2, draw – 3.22, Terek – 3.75.