Preview: Russian Premier League. Matchday 11
The first ten matchdays in the Russian Premier League have seen a half of its clubs or so at the top spot. Still none of them managed to stay there for a long time or to pull away. In Matchday 11 the leader of the last week (Lokomotiv) and the current leader (CSKA) will play at home against the teams who apparently have got ‘too high’ at the start – these are Anzhi and Kuban, respectively.
It’s also worth noting that the Premier League now has no obvious outsider. A single game won by Spartak Nalchik and Krylja Sovetov would bring them up from the relegation zone. On Saturday Vladimir Eshtrekov’s men will play Terek and Alexander Tarkhanov’s boys will meet Rostov. Zenit, who are in urgent need of a victory, will try to leave their failures behind playing Spartak Moscow in one of the nation’s main derbies.
Match of the day
Zenit St. Petersburg – Spartak Moscow. The events before – and especially after – the games between the two teams are rarely a boring view. In fact, what happens during the main 90 minutes is often less entertaining.
Even when there’s no valid reason to set the teams at loggerheads, it can be easily made up. However, this time you don’t even have to make up anything. At first Sergey Semak carelessly told the papers about the standings table he had cut out from a newspaper – with Spartak in the last place. Later his teammate Roman Shirokov has dropped a line in Twitter in the middle of the night, touching the hearts of the ‘red-and-white’ supporters with his ostentatious reluctance to consider Spartak a proper opponent for Zenit. Curiously enough, Shirokov won’t even have to take the rap for his words on the pitch – he is injured.
Discussing these events, many have also forgotten that Zenit’s holding midfielder Igor Denisov and Spartak’s general director Valery Karpin tried to fight each other last autumn. On Sunday the Zenit player will be once again running in a dangerous proximity to Spartak benches, preparing himself to respond to any insulting remark.
The intensity is also added by the fact that Zenit is now level with Spartak in the table. And it’s not because the red-and-whites climbed so high, but rather due to the slump of the St. Petersburg club. If Luciano Spalletti’s team fails to take three points once again, it can all go too far: Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller has promised to examine the club’s interim performances after the first 11 games.
Worth having a look
CSKA Moscow – Kuban Krasnodar. The coaches of the league’s currently first and third team – Leonid Slutsky and Dan Petrescu – have been both named by the media as the candidates to the vacant post at Chelsea. Having taken a perfect start, Kuban slowed down and failed to beat Spartak Nalchik at home – mostly because of a mistake from their goalkeeper Alexander Budakov. CSKA, however, have done a lot of useful things last week: won the Russian Cup (though breaking it immediately) and played at last their postponed match with Krylia Sovetov. Despite the unfavourable results of their previous games Kuban may have a chance if CSKA fail to muster enough strength for their third match in seven days.
The boycott
Radical supporters of CSKA and Spartak have drawn attention to themselves with a loud statement suggesting to boycott the away games against all North Caucasian teams, i.e. Terek Grozny, Anzhi Makhachkala, Spartak Nalchik, etc. In fact, such a move might really benefit domestic football: at least in the stands of some Russian cities the plastic chairs will be safe and sound. One may also assume that if the boycott is extended to all away – and maybe even home – matches, football hooligans will completely disappear from the Russian stadiums.
Keep an eye
Yuri Zhirkov is maintaining his fitness levels at Rubin Kazan. The reason for that is quite ordinary: the Chelsea defender has been visiting his relatives in the capital of Tatarstan and decided to agree with the local club about several days of training practice before national team’s games resume in June.
Bet of the day
Let’s take Miodrag Bozovic at his word, when he argues that Dynamo Moscow will soon experience a downturn in their fitness. At the same time, FC Krasnodar have been disappointing for some time already and their coach Slavoljub Muslin still can’t put things right. Thus, we may conclude that both teams will not deserve a victory on Sunday and will share the points (bookmakers’ odds – 3.2).
Quote
A large interview given by the former Dynamo Moscow head coach Miodrag Bozovic to Sovetsky Sport became one of the most significant events of the week. The Montenegrin has had a dig at everyone: coaches, commentators, managers, fans, and even the ordinary Russians, whose love turned out to be so fickle. But most of it have got the players.
«Russian footballers earn huge money and rest assured that the coach must talk to them all the time, boost them up. At FC Moscow and Amkar Perm I had players who wanted to achieve something, they were hungry for victories. Here in Dynamo they were quite well-fed,» stated Bozovic thus letting everyone know he will definitely stay away from Russia in the nearest future.
Figure
As of Friday morning, 8 clubs of the Russian Premier League have officially declared their love for the respected head of Russian Premier League Sergey Pryadkin, currently accused of unlawful agency by Novaya Gazeta.
Spartak Nalchik – Terek Grozny
May 27. Spartak Stadium (Nalchik), 15.00 CET.
Referee: Sergey Karasyov (Moscow).
Injuries: none / Gvazava, Tiui.
Suspensions: none.
Spartak Nalchik (Sports.ru version): Pomazan – Bagaev, Ovsienko, Djudovic, Jovanovic – Leandro, Kontsedalov, Zahirovic, Berkhamov – Milic, Portnyagin.
Terek (Sports.ru version): Dzhanaev – Utsiev, Ferreira, Omelyanchuk, Yatchenko – Georgiev, Mauricio, Katsaev, Kobenko, Zengue – Sadaev.
Last matches: – – = = = / – + – – +
Last year’s matches: 2:1 (Nalchik), 1:1 (Grozny).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Spartak – 1.8, draw – 2,7, Terek – 5.05.
Rubin Kazan – Tom Tomsk
May 27. Tsentralny Stadium (Kazan), 16.45 CET.
Referee: Maxim Layushkin (Moscow).
Injuries: Carlos Eduardo, Orekhov / Klimov, Smirnov, Kharitonov.
Suspensions: Kuzmin / Balyaikin (loan restrictions).
Rubin (Sports.ru version): Ryzhikov – Kaleshin, Sharonov, Navas, Ansaldi – Karadeniz, Ryazantsev, Natkho, Noboa, Kasaev – Medvedev.
Tom (Sports.ru version): Pesyakov – Gultyaev, Sabitov, Jokic, Skoblyakov – Starikov, Tigorev, Kim Nam Il, Bazhenov – Golyshev, Kanunnikov.
Last matches: = = + = = / = + = = +
Last year’s matches: Tomsk (1:0), Kazan (2:1).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Rubin – 1.5, draw – 4.16, Tom – 8.
Lokomotiv Moscow – Anzhi Makhachkala
May 27. Lokomotiv Stadium (Moscow), 17.15 CET.
Referee: Vladimir Pettai (Petrozavodsk).
Injuries: Tarasov, Djibi Fall / Kukharchuk.
Suspensions: none.
Lokomotiv (Sports.ru version): Guilherme – Shishkin, Burlak, Durica, Yanbaev – Ignatyev, Loskov, Glushakov, Ibricic, Torbinsky – Maicon.
Anzhi (Sports.ru version): Revishvili – Angbwa, Tagirbekov, Gadzhibekov, Agalarov – Akhmedov, Roberto Carlos, Jucilei – Boussoufa, Holenda, Lakhiyalov.
Last matches: + + = + = / = + + = -
Last year’s matches: 2:1 (Moscow), 1:0 (Makhachkala).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Lokomotiv – 1.75, draw – 3.5, Anzhi – 5,7.
Zenit St. Petersburg – Spartak Moscow
May 29. Petrovsky Stadium (St. Petersburg), 14.00 CET.
Referee: Igor Yegorov (Nizhny Novgorod).
Injuries: Meira, Shirokov, Bystrov, Lukovic / Welliton, Rojo, R. Carioca.
Suspensions: Anyukov / none.
Zenit (Sports.ru version): Malafeev – Hubocan, B. Alves, Lombaert, Cheminava – Zyryanov, Denisov, Huszti – Danny, Kerzhakov, Lazovic.
Spartak (Sports.ru version): Zabolotny – Makeev, Suchy, Pareja, Kudryashov – McGeady, Sheshukov, Ibson, D. Kombarov – Dzyuba, Ari.
Last matches: + = = = – / + + – + +
Last year’s matches: 1:1 (St.-Petersburg), 0:1 (Moscow).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Zenit – 1.95, draw – 3.4, Spartak – 4.0.
Krylia Sovetov Samara – Rostov Rostov-on-Don
May 29. Metallurg Stadium, 16.15 CET.
Referee: Yuri Baskakov (Moscow).
Injuries: Taranov, Joseph-Reinette / Radic, Lejsal.
Suspensions: none.
Krylia Sovetov (Sports.ru version): M’Bolhi – Tsallagov, Ponomarenko, Djordjevic, Molosh – Samsonov, Sosnin, Kirillov, Kuznetsov, Priyomov – Pecnik.
Rostov (Sports.ru version): Kochenkov – Khagush, Okoronkwo, Salata, Khokhlov – Blatnjak, Grigoriev, Gatcan, Yankov, Cesnauskis – Adamov.
Last matches: = = – – – / + – = – +
Last year’s matches: 1:2 (Samara), 2:1 (Rostov-on-Don).
Odds by Marathon Betting: Krylia Sovetov – 2.48, draw – 3, Rostov – 3.1.
CSKA Moscow – Kuban Krasnodar
May 29. Arena Khimki (Khimki), 17.00 CET.
Referee: Alexander Yegorov (Saransk).
Injuries: Vasin, M. Gonzalez, Odia / Zhilyaev.
Suspensions: Semberas / Zelao, Tsoraev.
CSKA (Sports.ru version): Akinfeev – Nababkin, Ignashevich, V. Berezutsky, A. Berezutsky – Sekou, Rahimic, Honda, Tosic – Doumbia, Necid.
Kuban (Sports.ru version): Budakov – Kozlov, Armas, Rogochiy, Zhavnerchik – Tlisov, Ne, Maximov, Kulik, Varga – L. Traore.
Last matches: + = – = + / + – + = =
Last year’s matches: did not play.
Odds by Marathon Betting: CSKA – 1.45, draw – 4.1, Kuban – 8.
FC Krasnodar – Dynamo Moscow
May 29. Kuban Stadium (Krasnodar), 18.30 CET.
Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (St. Petersburg).
Injuries: none / Epureanu, Kolodin.
Suspensions: none / Semshov.
Krasnodar (Sports.ru version): Gorodov – Vranjes, Amisulashvili, Tubic, Andjelkovic-Tatarchuk, Kulchiy, Drincic, Joaozinho, Marsio – Picusceac.
Dynamo (Sports.ru version): Shunin – L. Fernandez, Dujmovic, Granat, Lomic – Samedov, Misimovic, Sapeta, Kokorin – Voronin, Kuranyi.
Last matches: – = – = – / = + = = +
Last year’s matches: did not play.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Krasnodar – 3.2, draw – 3.2, Dynamo – 2.3.
Amkar Perm – Volga Nizhny Novgorod
May 30. Zvezda Stadium (Perm), 15.30 CET.
Referee: Almir Kayumov (Moscow).
Injuries: Narubin, Merzic, Topchu, Ristic, Popov / Ahmetovic, Hodzhava.
Suspensions: none.
Amkar (Sports.ru version): Khamutovsky – Sirakov, Belorukov, Cherenchikov, Fedoriv – Peev, Kolomeitsev, Mijajlovic, Sekretov – Djalovic, Mikhalyov.
Volga (Sports.ru version): Abaev – Salukvadze, Bendz, Grigalava, Getigezhev – Tursunov, Shulenin, Adzhindzhal, Crosas, Martsvaladze – Khazov.
Last matches: – = – + – / – – – – =
Last year’s matches: did not play.
Odds by Marathon Betting: Amkar – 2.1, draw – 3.2, Volga – 3.7.
by Pavel Tikhonov