After just three rounds, an unusual situation has emerged in the Russian Premier League, not seen in nearly 30 years: Lokomotiv, with no top-tier clubs among its immediate challengers, leads the pack. They are joined in the top three by Krylia Sovetov and Baltika. Meanwhile, traditional giants Spartak and Dynamo find themselves lingering in the lower half of the table, a position rarely occupied by these clubs so early in the season.
Flashback to 1998, the top three after three rounds included Alania, Zenit (far from a favorite then), and Rotor – a comparable anomaly in RPL history. Perhaps this early lead is a strong indication that Lokomotiv could be the future champions. Last Saturday, the «railroaders» clinched a narrow 3-2 victory against Pari NN. Next week, Galaktionov’s squad is set to host Spartak at home in a highly anticipated match.
In the «red-and-white kingdom» of Spartak, familiar narratives persist: another disappointing result, and once again, the referees bear the blame. In their away match against Akron, the Moscow side was reduced to ten men before halftime, following Khlusevich`s red card. Despite this, they managed to take the lead late in the game, only to concede a penalty to Dzyuba, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Evgeny Lovchev, widely regarded as the best Soviet footballer of 1972, offered a broader perspective on Spartak’s current disposition, beyond the game`s immediate events:
Any team with skilled, self-respecting footballers, if they suddenly start losing, tends to believe the referee is against them. They point to various whistles and so on. But a truly strong team goes out and dominates the opponent, demonstrating, `We are stronger than you, even tenfold!` This constant dissatisfaction with officials, this continuous appeal to them – it has permeated the entire team! The head coach is unequivocally to blame for this! That is my deepest conviction.
In other matches, Dynamo suffered a 0-1 away defeat to Krasnodar. Baltika secured a 3-2 win against Orenburg in Kaliningrad, while Krylia Sovetov delivered a commanding 4-1 victory over Rostov on the road. The central fixture of the round saw Zenit share points at home with CSKA in a 1-1 draw. Zenit equalized through Sobolev after what, in my opinion, was a questionable penalty. Allerandro had opened the scoring for CSKA in the 33rd minute with a well-executed five-pass combination. While I may not currently favor CSKA’s style of play, their defense has undeniably shown significant improvement.
It`s worth noting that Celestini isn`t expected to rigidly adhere to Nikolaevich’s style; the new coach will likely bring in five new players to reshape the team. As for Zenit, they might want to re-evaluate their reliance on the much-hyped Gerson, who appears to hinder attacks more often than he creates them. Ultimately, no tactical advantage can overshadow the final score on the scoreboard. I even dare to challenge the perspective of Alexey Gasilin, a «Match Premier» expert and champion of the 2013 U-17 European Championship:
Everything unfolded under Zenit`s control. Zenit intricately wove these `patterns,` transferring the ball from flank to flank—there were numerous attacking initiatives from the Petersburg side. CSKA, truthfully, had very few opportunities. Zenit played better, yet a single magnificent combination by the Army men resulted in a goal. However, I was particularly impressed by Sergei Bogdanovich`s reaction when he brought on Sobolev and Lucianu. I really liked their impact off the bench. Zenit, I still believe, was closer to securing the victory.
In the top scorers’ race, Rakova leads with four goals, followed by Batrakov with three. Rakova is a former Lokomotiv player currently on loan to Samara, while Batrakov is still an active Lokomotiv player. The league table currently stands as follows: Lokomotiv holds nine points, with Krylia Sovetov and Baltika both on seven points (Samara leads due to goal difference). Krasnodar has six points, while Akron, Zenit, and CSKA each have five. Dynamo and Spartak occupy ninth and tenth places respectively, both with four points.
The final match of the third round of the Russian Championship will take place on Monday, featuring Rubin against Sochi, with kick-off scheduled for 8 PM. A victory would allow Kazan to draw level with Baltika in the standings. Looking ahead to the fourth round, in addition to the Lokomotiv vs. Spartak showdown, the clash between CSKA and Rubin promises to be a highlight. Both of these crucial matches are slated for Saturday.
