Following the Friday evening Caucasus Derby between Alaniya Vladikavkaz and Spartak Nalchik, the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia features four key matches, including important test for the leagues new entrants this campaign.
After solid starts last week, Anzhi Makhachkala and Sibir Novosibirsk face tough tests as they head out on the road, in matches that will show a great deal if they have the ability to stay in the top flight.
The opening match of the day sees Anzhi Makhachkala visits Amkar Perm as both sides look for an important win. Rashid Rakhimov’s side were superb in last weeks opening tussle against CSKA Moscow and ground the Army-Men attack down to a trickle. With the exception of a late, highly fortuitous goal by Keisuke Honda, Amkar was perfect and deserving of a draw. Anzhi Makhachkala showed a strong defending resolve in their opening week draw with Nalchik and will need to show similar traits against the Red-Blacks. Anzhi manager Omari Tetradze was rewarded with superb play from Jan Holenda once he was introduced after the break and will be tempted to bring the former Sparta Praha man into the starting eleven.
In the opening week of the campaign, Rostov ran into the Sergey Kornilenko show of Tom Tomsk, something many sides may find out this year, in route to a loss. They face an equally tough test as they visit Chechnya’s Terek Grozny who could be one of the surprises of the season. Anatoly Baidachny’s side boasts an attacking juggernaut of Bulgarian playmaker Blagoy Georgiev, a fit Hector Bracamonte and Shamil Asildarov, who picked up where he left off last year at Nalchik. Rostov will need to show a significantly improved defending vision against Grozny or they will go down to their second defeat in the early season.
Sibir Novosibirsk travel to Ramenskoe to face Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast, in what will surely be less than hospitable surroundings. Andrey Gordeev’s have consistently shown a better front at home and they will be looking to make amends for last week’s draw with Alaniya Vladikavkaz. The opening day test saw their hosts buoyed with support of their home fans and after the Ramenskoe-side went out in front early, it was clear the absences of attacking forces Dmitriy Loskov and Marko Topić greatly limited their efforts later in the day. The Siberian’s are the favourites for the drop and need to consider wisely tactical choices on the road. Last weeks loss to Terek Grozny showed a tenacious resolve and some solid points to build on but they face a key test in how they will approach play away from home. Sibir manager Igor Kriushenko saw very solid attacking vision from Alexandr Degtyaryov and Alexey Medvedev after the break and will have some decisions to make with his line-up. He will however be without the services of Denis Bukhryakov, under suspension, as he was sent-off late last week.
In the final match of the day Krylya Sovetov face the difficult test of visiting Yuriy Semin’s Lokomotiv Moscow. The Railwaymen are nearly unstoppable in front of their home fans and following their loss to Rubin Kazan in the opening week of competition will have something to prove. Whether it was the near unplayable “field” in Kazan that limited Lokomotiv’s efforts or just poor finishing, they need to show greater production from their strikers when the opportunity presents itself. The Samaran’s are coming off a peculiar loss to Zenit Saint Petersburg, in which they will have mixed emotions. Clearly out-matched by the Saint Petersburg side, the financially troubled unit showed solid defending resolve. Other than Danny’s counter attack goal, Samaran manager Yuriy Gazzaev put together a tactical gem in keeping the match without one strike. In their trip to the capital city, they will need to do the same against Lokomotiv. For fans of tactical football, this has the makings of a brilliant encounter with the genius of Yuriy Semin pitted against a very impressive Yuriy Gazzaev.
Prepared by John Davies
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