Preview: Russian Premier League. Matchday 21

As the second part of the Russian league is coming closer, the divide between the upper and the lower eight teams is growing deeper. (This year’s tournament has two parts: after the teams play the usual 30 matchdays, they will be divided into two groups based on the standings, with the upper half battling for the title and European cup places and the lower half trying to avoid relegation.) Now the distance between the eighth and the ninth places has reached four points for the first time this season and if Lokomotiv (8th) beat FC Krasnodar (9th), it will become even bigger.

Those in the bottom half should now try and catch up with the leaders, unless they have already accepted the need to fight for survival in the spring. Terek, who conceded ten goals in two last matches, will now take on Rostov. Amkar will try to give a hard life to the already panting Rubin, while Tom will walk into the match against CSKA with a staggering gait. Zenit will encounter the recovering Krylia Sovetov and the weekend will be closed by the single match between the representatives of the top-8, Anzhi and Dynamo.

Match of the day

Anzhi Makhachkala – Dynamo Moscow. The Makhachkala team suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of Spartak Moscow a week ago. However, Anzhi’s positions in the top half are still as safe as a church and the more important task for them is to strengthen the squad, because trading in the winter will be more difficult – with the Europeans, at least.

Meanwhile, Sergey Silkin’s team have been on the winning streak lately, thrashing Terek in their last game. Dynamo will have to play with the same boldness and spirit, to which Anzhi tends to give in.

Keep an eye on

CSKA Moscow – Tom Tomsk. The malfunctioning leaders will at last have an easier opponent. The match against the wounded Tom is a chance to inspire confidence in the Army Club’s defense and to awaken the Vagner Love – Seydou Doumbia link, who haven’t scored for three games already. Yevgeny Aldonin’s recovery will also help Leonid Slutsky.

In the meantime, the Siberians feel very bad, as an embezzlement investigation, opened this week against their general director, adds to the team’s poor performances on the pitch. The arrival of Yevgeny Savin from Krylia Sovetov seems to be the only good piece of news so far, but will hardly relieve Tom’s suffering. Some more misfortunes may well end even the seemingly immense patience of their coach Valery Nepomnyaschy.

Euronet

Rubin, Spartak Moscow, and Lokomotiv have their matchdays sandwiched between the two legs of European cups.

The Kazan club were defeated by O. Lyon in France and will now divert their attention away to Amkar, who lost their two key defenders a week ago at Zenit. However, Rubin’s problems with human resources are also great and include the loss of two their main defenders as well. The match may also feature the Russian debut of Nelson Valdez – Kurban Berdyev’s new attempt to solve Rubin’s goalscoring issues.

Spartak Moscow went powerfully in July and August, but were quite illogically baffled against Legia Warsaw. This may cheer up a bit their next opponents, Spartak Nalchik. Still, the latter need to improve their defending, especially as Spartak have scored nine goals in three last games.

The only Russian victory in Europe this week was achieved by Lokomotiv, who have had two different halfs against the Slovak club Spartak Trnava. Under Jose Couceiro the Railwaymen are extremely inconsistent in attack, but do not concede goals at all. The mobile attack of FC Krasnodar will have to do their utmost: there may be no other possibility for them to catch up with the top-8.

Bet of the day

Zenit go to Samara to meet the team of Andrey Kobelev, who once was the captain of the St. Petersburg side. Krylia Sovetov have become stronger, as Sergey Veremko has calmed down the defence and Ognen Koroman has freshened up the attack. Considering these transformations, as well as Luciano Spalletti’s tendency to lower scores, it would be wise to bet on ‘total under 2.5’ (bookmakers’ odds – 1.92).

Quote

«Sychev is a good player and a good man. He did so much for Lokomotiv. We should keep people like him. Sychev is often portrayed as an insensitive one, a party-goer. But Dima is absolutely different,» Lokomotiv president Olga Smorodskaya says, while the club is offering Sychev a contract twice lower than the expiring one.

Figure

For 360 minutes Volga haven’t scored a goal, which didn’t prevent them from becoming the favorite in their away match against Kuban. Such is the conclusion made by the Russian bookmakers who have sharply lowered the odds on Volga’s victory and forbidden to include the game in parlays. Major Western companies have even removed the match from their lines.

Amkar Perm – Rubin Kazan

August 20. Zvezda Stadium (Perm), 16.00 MSK.

Referee: Mikhail Vilkov (Nizhny Novgorod).

Injuries: none / Carlos Eduardo, Ryazyantsev, Orekhov.

Suspensions: Popov, Cherenchikov / Sharonov, Kaleshin.

Amkar (Sports.ru version): Narubin – Sirakov, Fedoriv, Belorukov, Grishin – Peev, Kolomeitsev, Novakovic, Sekretov – Volkov, Mikhalyov.

Rubin (Sports.ru version): Ryzhikov – Kuzmin, C. Navas, Kverkvelia, Bocchetti – Nemov, Natcho, Noboa, Karadeniz, Kasaev – Dyadyun.

Last matches: – – = – = / – + – + =

First round match: 1-1.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Amkar – 2.62, draw – 3.4, Rubin – 2.62.

TV broadcast: NTV Plus Nash Futbol, 15.40 (live), Rozanov.

CSKA Moscow – Tom Tomsk

August 20. Arena Khimki (Khimki), 18.00 MSK.

Referee: Vitaliy Meshkov (Dmitrov).

Injuries: Shchennikov, Vasin, Necid / Tigorev, Balyaykin, Danaae.

Suspensions: none.

CSKA (Sports.ru version): Akinfeev – Nababkin, V. Berezutsky, Ignashevich, A. Berezutsky – Honda, Mamaev, Aldonin, Dzagoev – Vagner Love, Doumbia.

Tom (Sports.ru version): Pesyakov – Gultyaev, Smirnov, Jokic, Skoblyakov – Boyarintsev, Sabitov, Kharitonov, Laktionov – Golyshev, Savin.

Last matches: + = – = / – + – – -

First round match: 1-1.

Odds by Marathon Betting: CSKA – 1.18, draw – 7.5, Tom – 19.

TV broadcast: NTV Plus Football, 17.40 (live), Rodionov, Cherdantsev. Russia 2, 17.55 (live).

Krylia Sovetov Samara – Zenit St. Petersburg

August 20. Metallurg Stadium (Samara), 18.15 MSK.

Referee: Alexander Yegorov (Saransk).

Injuries: none / Bystrov.

Suspensions: none.

Krylia Sovetov (Sports.ru version): Veremko – Tsallagov, Dzhodzhevich, Taranov, Kontsedalov – Bobyor, Vorobyov, Petrov, Kuznetsov, Koroman – Yakovlev.

Zenit (Sports.ru version): Malafeev – Anyukov, Lombaerts, B. Alves, Criscito – Denisov, Shirokov, Zyryanov – Danny, Lazovic, Kerzhakov.

Last matches: – – = + / = + + =

First round match: 0-3.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Krylia Sovetov – 11, draw – 4.75, Zenit – 1.36.

TV broadcast: NTV Plus Nash Futbol, 18.00 (live), Orlov.

Terek Grozny – Rostov Rostov-on-Don

August 20. Ahmad Arena (Grozny), 20.30 MSK.

Referee: Maxim Layushkin (Moscow).

Injuries: none / Radic, Yankov.

Suspensions: Georgiev / none.

Terek (Sports.ru version): Dzhanaev – Utsiev, Ferreira, Jiranek, Zengue – Pavlenko, Katsaev, Mauricio, Gvazava – Asildarov, Ewerthon.

Rostov (Sports.ru version): Pletikosa – Khagush, Zivanovic, Salata, Filatov – Kalachyov, Gatcan, Cocis, Grigoriev – Bracamonte, Adamov.

Last matches: = – + – – / – – – + -

First round match: 0-1.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Terek – 1.74, draw – 3.65, Rostov – 5.5.

TV broadcast: NTV Plus Nash Futbol, 20.15 (live), Baturin.

Spartak Nalchik – Spartak Moscow

August 21. Spartak Stadium (Nalchik), 18.45 MSK.

Referee: Vladimir Kazmenko (Rostov-on-Don).

Injuries: Jovanovic, Berkhamov / McGeady.

Suspensions: none / R. Carioca, Welliton.

Spartak Nalchik (Sports.ru version): Fredrikson – Bagaev, Djudovic, Ovsienko, Aravin – Gridnev, Rukhaya, Kontsedalov, Shchanitsin, Pilipchuk – Goshokov.

Spartak Moscow (Sports.ru version): Dikan – K. Kombarov, Pareja, S. Rodriguez, Makeev – Ari, de Zeeuw, Sheshukov, D. Kombarov – Dzyuba, Emenike.

Last matches: + = – – + / + + + + =

First round match: 0-1.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Spartak N – 4.35, draw – 3.3, Spartak M – 1.9.

TV broadcast: NTV Plus Nash Futbol, 18.25 (live), Zhuravel.

Kuban Krasnodar – Volga Nizhny Novgorod

August 21. Kuban Stadium (Krasnodar), 20.00 MSK.

Referee: Timur Arslanbekov (Moscow).

Injuries: none / Yashin.

Suspensions: none.

Kuban (Sports.ru version): Budakov – Kozlov, Bendz, Zelao, Zhavnerchik – Varga, Fidler, Tlisov, Komkov – L. Traore, Davydov.

Volga (Sports.ru version): Abaev – Bondar, Buyvolov, Belozyorov, Getigezhev – Yeshchenko, Plesan, Hodzhava, Szekely – Vatsadze, Khazov.

Last matches: + – = + / – – – – =

First round match: 1-0.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Kuban – 3.05, draw – 4.55 Volga – 1.78.

TV broadcast: NTV-Plus Sport, 19.40 (live), Yelagin.

Lokomotiv Moscow – FC Krasnodar

August 21. Lokomotiv Stadium (Moscow), 20.45 MSK.

Referee: Igor Yegorov (Nizhny Novgorod).

Injuries: Amelchenko / none.

Suspensions: Maicon Marques / none.

Lokomotiv (Sports.ru version): Guilherme – Shishkin, Da Costa, Durica, Yanbaev – Glushakov, Loskov, Zapater, Ignatiev – Sychev, Caicedo.

Krasnodar (Sports.ru version): Usminsky – Markov, Amisulashvili, Tubic, Andjelkovic – Tatarchuk, Kulchiy, Drincic, Joaozinho, Mauricio – Movsisyan.

Last matches: – + + = / = = + -

First round match: 4-1.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Lokomotiv – 1.65, draw – 3.65, Krasnodar – 5.6.

TV broadcast: NTV-Plus Sport-Plus, 20.30 (live), Guttsait, Shmurnov. Russia 2, 20.10 (live).

Anzhi Makhachkala – Dynamo Moscow

August 21. Dynamo Stadium (Makhachkala), 21.00 MSK.

Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (St. Petersburg).

Injuries: Lakhiyalov / none.

Suspensions: none.

Anzhi (Sports.ru version): Revishvili – Angbwa, Gadzhibekov, Tagirbekov, Agalarov – Dzsudzsak, Ahmedov, Roberto Carlos, Boussoufa, Zhirkov – Prudnikov.

Dynamo (Sports.ru version): Shunin – Wilkshire, L. Fernandez, Granat, Lomic – Samedov, Semshov, Yusupov, Misimovic – Voronin, Kuranyi.

Last matches: = – + + – / + + – + +

First round match: 2-2.

Odds by Marathon Betting: Anzhi – 2.45, draw – 3.25, Dynamo – 2.92.

TV broadcast: NTV Plus Nash Futbol, 20.45 (live), Kazansky.