Preview: Russian Premier League. Matchday 12
During the last week nobody had any desire to talk about football as such. Firstly, the fuss was kicked up around Yuri Krasnozhan who in Olga Smorodskaya’s opinion had chosen a deliberately wrong line-up for the match against Anzhi. Secondly, despite the that fact the Russian national team played Cameroon, the game itself was of such quality that wouldn’t inspire any football talks. But the old scandals will be quickly forgotten, as there most likely will be new ones. The Russian league will see the whole five matchdays played in only 16 days.
All games of Matchday 12 will be played on Friday. Interim head coach of Lokomotiv Vladimir Maminov will fly his team to Tomsk, double-checking if Denis Glushakov is on the plane. Zenit will have the most difficult game of all the teams in the leading group, as they pay a visit to Dynamo Moscow. Meanwhile, Anzhi are expected to have the easiest one, playing at home against Spartak Nalchik.
Match of the day
Dynamo Moscow – Zenit St. Petersburg. As you may remeber, Miodrag Bozovic predicted that Dynamo’s players would soon stop running, as his caretaking successor Sergey Silkin is just about to eat the last fruit of Bozovic’s work. Former coach of the White-and-Blues stated that there are very few people in Russia able to make up a good fitness training program. So, on Friday it finally will become clear, whether Bozovic said the truth or not. After all, a match against Zenit is the best way to see how good a team can run.
The latest break in the championship has happened at an ideal moment for the St. Petersburg club. During the pause everybody finally forgot that the team was in crisis in the spring. Moreover, the crushing of Spartak Moscow helped them regain self-confidence. However, the progress has to be continued. During that month and a half that Silkin is in charge of Dynamo, nobody managed to overcome his team – neither CSKA, nor Amkar.
Worth having a look
Spartak Moscow – Rubin Kazan. If it wasn’t for the Muscovites’ poor run of results recently and the avalanche of injuries that swept away a half of their usual line-up, this match could well be a contestant for the Match of the day title. The Kazan club have had a very convincing performance against Tom – it turned out that many were wrong in their scepticism about Rubin’s intention to move towards spectacular football. Kurban Berdiyev speaks little and empty words are not his style. When he talks about new philosophy he doesn’t mean maybe. Just not at once.
Spartak are now is in their usual condition, i.e. the unpredictable one.The Red-and-Whites seem to be not so strong as their Friday opponent. They are still in the leading group (which, in fact, includes all the teams of the table’s top half), but a step away from falling out of it. Only three points separate them from Tom, who had a dismal start to the season.
Peace
CSKA’s Leonid Slutsky forgave Alan Dzagoev, who went as far as saying some rude words to his head coach after being substituted during the final game of the Russian Cup. The young midfielder was eventually allowed to train with the first team and taken to Grozny for the Terek game. It seems that the conflict is settled.
Keep an eye
Yuri Krasnozhan’s dismissal sparked discussions even in Mordovia. Fyodor Shcherbachenko, head coach of the local team, did not rule out the possibility of Russian coaches initiating a drive in support of their colleague. How it would look – with coaches putting on some «Yura, hold on» t-shirts or gathering under the windows of Olga Smorodskaya’s office – has not been revealed yet.
Bet of the day
Betting on Russian Premier League matches after long breaks is risky, because no one knows what happened to the players during those two weeks. Perhaps, the safest option is to stake on Anzhi’s victory against Spartak Nalchik. A win for Gadzhi Gadzhiev’s team still has nice odds (1.75), so hurry up!
Quote
«I did have a serious proposal from Anzhi, but I still stay in Milan. AC Milan are my football family and my heart chooses this club,» said the 33-year-old Gennaro Gattuso, thus letting the world know it’s too early for him to go to Makhachkala.
Figure
990 minutes spent Kevin Kuranyi on the pitch without scoring a single goal. If the German wants to avoid four-digit records, he has to score a quick goal against Zenit.
Tom Tomsk – Lokomotiv Moscow
June 10. Trud Stadium, Tomsk, 13.30 CET.
Referee: Mikhail Vilkov (Nizhny Novgorod).
Injuries: Klimov, Kharitonov / Tarasov, Djiby Fall.
Suspensions: none.
Tom (Sports.ru version): Pesyakov – Gultyaev, Sabitov, Jokic, Skoblyakov – Starikov, Kim Nam Il, Tigorev, Bazhenov – Golyshev, Kanunnikov.
Lokomotiv (Sports.ru version): Guilherme – Shishkin, Basa, Durica, Yanbaev – Ignatiev, Loskov, Glushakov, Ibricic, Torbinsky – Maicon.
Last matches: + = = + – / + = + = -
Last year’s matches: 1:2 (Moscow), 1:1 (Tomsk).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Tom – 2.98, draw – 3.2, Lokomotiv – 2.62.
Anzhi Makhachkala – Spartak Nalchik
June 10. Dynamo Stadium, Makhachkala, 15.45 CET.
Referee: Yuri Baskakov (Moscow).
Injuries: none / Pomazan, Ovsienko, Jovanovic.
Suspensions: Joao Carlos / Ovsienko.
Anzhi (Sports.ru version): Revishvili- Angbwa, Tagirbekov, Gadzhibekov, Agalarov – Al. Ivanov, Roberto Carlos, Jucilei – Boussoufa, Holenda, Lakhiyalov.
Spartak Nalchik (Sports.ru version): Fredrikson – Bagaev, Kulikov, Djudovic, Lebedev – Leandro, Kontsedalov, Zahirovic, Berkhamov – Milic, Goshokov.
Last matches: + + = – + / – = = = =
Last year’s matches: 0:0 (Makhachkala), 3:1 (Nalchik).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Anzhi – 1.75, draw – 3.7, Spartak Nalchik – 4.6.
Terek Grozny – CSKA Moscow
June 10. Akhmat Arena (Grozny), 16.45 CET.
Referee: Stanislav Sukhina (Malakhovka).
Injuries: Tiui / M. Gonzalez, Odia, Schennikov, Nababkin, Tosic.
Suspensions: none.
Terek (Sports.ru version): Dzhanaev – Utsiev, Ferreira, Omelyanchuk, Yatchenko – Georgiev, Mauricio, Katsaev, Kobenko, Zengue – Asildarov.
CSKA (Sports.ru version): Akinfeev – Semberas, Ignashevich, V. Berezutsky, A. Berezutsky – Sekou, Mamaev, Aldonin, Honda – Doumbia, Necid.
Last matches: + – – + = / = – = + =
Last year’s matches: 1:4 (Moscow), 0:3 (Grozny).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Terek – 4.6, draw – 3.65, CSKA – 1.85.
Kuban Krasnodar – Amkar Perm
June 10. Kuban Stadium (Krasnodar), 16.45 CET.
Referee: Sergey Lapochkin (St. Petersburg).
Injuries: Zhilyaev / Narubin, Topchu.
Suspensions: none / Volkov.
Kuban (Sports.ru version): Budakov – Kozlov, Armas, Rogochiy, Zhavnerchik – Tlisov, Ne, Maximov, Kulik, Varga – L. Traore.
Amkar (Sports.ru version): Khamutovsky – Sirakov, Belorukov, Popov, Cherenchikov – Peev, Kolomeitsev, Mijajlovic, Mijic – Mikhalyov, Djalovic.
Last matches: – + = = = / = – + – +
Last year’s matches: did not play.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Kuban – 1.82, draw – 3.55, Amkar – 5.
Volga Nizhny Novgorod – Krylia Sovetov Samara
June 10. Lokomotiv Stadium (Nizhny Novgorod), 17.30 CET.
Referee: Vladimir Pettai (Petrozavodsk).
Injuries: Plesan, Yashin, Hodzhava / Joseph-Reinette
Suspensions: none.
Volga (Sports.ru version): Abayev – Salukvadze, Bendz, Grigalava, Getigezhev – Tursunov, Shulenin, Adzhindzhal, Crosas, Martsvaladze – Khazov.
Krylia Sovetov (Sports.ru version): M’Bolhi – Tsallagov, Ponomarenko, Djordjevic, Molosh – Samsonov, Sosnin, Yeliseyev, Kuznetsov, Priyomov – Pecnik.
Last matches: – – – = – / = – – – =
Last year’s matches: did not play.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Volga – 1.98, draw – 3.4, Krylia Sovetov – 4.3.
Dynamo Moscow – Zenit St. Petersburg
June 10. Arena Khimki (Khimki), 18.00 CET.
Referee: Igor Yegorov (Nizhny Novgorod).
Injuries: Kolodin / Shirokov, Bystrov, Kerzhakov.
Suspensions: none / B. Alves.
Dynamo (Sports.ru version): Shunin – Granat, Fernandez, Lomic, Wilkshire – Samedov, Sapeta, Semshov, Smolov – Voronin, Kuranyi.
Zenit (Sports.ru version): Malafeev – Anyukov, Meira, Lombaerts, Hubocan – Zyryanov, Denisov, Faizulin – Ionov, Bukharov, Lazovic.
Last matches: + = = + + / = = = – +
Last year’s matches: 1:2 (Moscow), 1:1 (St. Petersburg).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Dynamo – 3.2, draw – 3.35, Zenit – 2.38.
Rostov Rostov-on-Don – FC Krasnodar
June 10. Olimp-2 Stadium (Rostov-on-Don), 19.00 CET.
Referee: Vyacheslav Popov (Yekaterinburg).
Injuries: Radic, Lejsal, O. Ivanov / Shipitsin.
Suspensions: Gatcan / none.
Rostov (Sports.ru version): Kochenkov – Khagush, Okoronkwo, Salata, Boussaidi – Kalachyov, Grigoriev, Rebko, Yankov, Cesnauskis – Adamov.
Krasnodar (Sports.ru version): Gorodov – Markov, Amisulashvili, Tubic, Andjelkovic – Tatarchuk, Vorobyov, Drincic, Joaozinho, Marcio – Picusceac.
Last matches: – = – + = / = – = – -
Last year’s matches: did not play.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Rostov – 2.06, draw – 3.35, Krasnodar – 4.05.
Spartak Moscow – Rubin Kazan
June 10. Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow), 19.00 CET.
Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (St. Petersburg).
Injuries: Welliton, Rojo, Ari, Makeev, Sheshukov, Kudryashov, R. Carioca, Pareja / Carlos Eduardo, Orekhov.
Suspensions: Suchy / none.
Spartak (Sports.ru version): Dikan – K. Kombarov, Valikaev, Rodriguez, D. Kombarov – McGeady, Ibson, Makhmudov, Ananidze, Yakovlev – Dzyuba.
Rubin (Sports.ru version): Ryzhikov – Bocchetti, Sharonov, C. Navas, Ansaldi – Karadeniz, Ryazantsev, Natkho, Noboa, Lebedenko – Medvedev.
Last matches: + – + + – / = + = = +
Last year’s matches: 0:1 (Moscow), 1:1 (Kazan).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Spartak – 2.56, draw – 3.2, Rubin – 3.05.
Current standings: 1. CSKA – 19 pts (10 games), 2. Zenit – 19 (11), 3. Dynamo – 19 (11), 4. Anzhi – 19 (11), 5. Lokomotiv – 18 (11), 6. Kuban – 18 (11), 7. Rubin – 17 (11), 8. Spartak Moscow – 16 (11), 9. Tom – 13 (11), 10. Rostov – 12 (11), 11. Terek – 12 (11), 12. Amkar – 12 (11), 13. Krasnodar – 11 (10), 14. Volga– 10 (9), 15. Spartak Nalchik – 9 (11), 16. Krylia Sovetov – 8 (11).
Goalscorers: Lazovic (Zenit) – 7, Golyshev (Tom) – 6, Kerzhakov (Zenit) – 5.
by Pavel Tikhonov
