These matches could determine the sole leader of the standings. Meanwhile, Dynamo and CSKA are grappling with unresolved issues: injuries, squad changes, and lost points early in the season.
A clash of leaders and questions surrounding Dynamo and CSKA – the second round of the Russian championship is set to determine the sole top spot. The round kicked off on Friday with the Volga derby, a match between Krylia Sovetov and Pari Nizhny Novgorod, which saw the hosts win 2-0.
Krylia Sovetov`s current first-place position with four points is temporary, as their closest rivals have only played one match so far. Five teams started with victories, but after the second round, a maximum of three will remain undefeated. This is because two of the top teams, Lokomotiv and Krasnodar, will face each other on Saturday. Zenit and Rubin will go head-to-head on Sunday. The coaching staff of the St. Petersburg club faces a challenging period: after missing out on the championship title, they must contend with public criticism and justify every tactical decision.
For instance, the combination of Barrios and Douglas Santos in the defensive midfield, with accelerated fullbacks like Vega and Mantuan (despite Mantuan typically being a midfielder). Sergey Semak, the coach of the blue-white-sky blues, explained:
“On the contrary, considering what`s in the center… Who should we place higher? Another attacking player? Who else to put in the trio of central midfielders if we’re talking about a 4-3-3 formation? We`d probably rather use the attacking Vega as a fast player than a central midfielder, instead of Douglas or someone else. Moreover, we played well in central midfield against Sion and Vojvodina. As for the wing-backs – of course, we understand that both Vega and Mantuan are attacking players. Mantuan has even been retrained as a defender. But it doesn`t always work out the way we`d like.”
Will Zenit cope with Rubin, especially in Kazan? In my opinion, no. Rakhimov`s team showcased higher quality football a week ago, though their opponent was easier: Akhmat, not Rostov.
And one of the participants in the clash at the Ak Bars Arena might be overtaken by the two disappointments of the first round – CSKA and Dynamo. Both teams dropped unexpected points against Orenburg and Baltika, respectively. The «White-Blues,» by the way, are significantly hampered by squad problems. It`s worth noting that seven key players are currently out. Dmitry Derunets, a Match Premier host, expert, and ardent Dynamo supporter, commented:
“Well, let`s count the injured players at Dynamo right now. Tyukavin – out for a long time. Maistorovich – almost a year. Arthur – long-term. Chavez – until next year. Laxalt was absent. Carrascal watched from the stands. And probably Maukhub.”
The only one on that list who isn`t injured is Carrascal. However, the Colombian is on the verge of signing a contract with Flamengo, and to avoid injury, he is watching the match from the stands. His Dynamo teammates will challenge their new coach Karpin`s former team, Rostov, on July 26th. Meanwhile, CSKA will host Akhmat at VEB Arena on Sunday; their last encounter in Grozny in May ended in a 1-1 draw. Finally, Spartak, who had four goals disallowed against Makhachkala, will try to overcome Baltika`s resistance in Moscow on Saturday.
The league table is quite straightforward: Krylia, having played two matches, have four points, while Krasnodar, Lokomotiv, Rubin, Zenit, and Spartak, all with no losses so far, each have three points. Federal broadcaster Match TV will show two of the eight matches of the round: on Saturday, the leader clash between Krasnodar and Lokomotiv, and on Sunday, the game featuring the country`s vice-champion, Rubin vs Zenit.
