SEASON OPENER AS AMKAR VISITS CSKA

After a three-month plus hiatus, the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia returns this weekend in opening series of exciting matches. The weekend commences in the capital as Amkar Perm faces CSKA Moscow at Luzhniki Stadium.


There have been many changes within the league since Rubin Kazan were crowned champions for the second consecutive period, including a number of superb new player additions to the mix as well as well as the sad loss of FC Moscow. Yet for fans of football within Russia, this likely will be one of the most exciting campaigns in recent memory, as the competition for the top six will be fierce and clubs will be fighting for points at every turn.

CSKA Moscow v Amkar Perm

The Army-Men are coming off a difficult loss to Rubin Kazan in the Russian Super Cup as well as a trying season, however look poised to threaten for the championship. Plagued with tactical problems under then-manager Zico and after equal failings with Juande Ramos in charge, they did not hit full stride until Leonid Slutsky took charge.

Club president Evgeniy Giner fulfilled his promise of stock piling CSKA with the level of talent to take them to European glory with the premier signings of Japan international Keisuke Honda from VVV-Venlo, Seydou Doumbia from Young Boys and reliable young defender Kirill Nababkin from FC Moscow.

Daniel Carvalho and Vágner Love have been loaned out and unlikely to return to Moscow but the Army-Men are laden with attacking talent, led by emerging superstar Miloš Krasić, playmaker Alan Dzagoev, Mark González, Tomáš Necid and Pavel Mamaev as well as their key new additions. CSKA's greatest weakness is within defending and will need Sergey Ignashevich and Vasiliy Berezutsky play at their best if the Army-Men are to wrestle away the hardware from Rubin Kazan.

Amkar Perm will look to rebound from a deplorable season following their fourth place finish in 2008. Returning to Amkar Perm after a difficult stint with Lokomotiv Moscow, Rashid Rakhimov brought stability to the Red-Blacks and eased them away from relegation with a careful crafted tactical plan.

The situation for the Ural side is complicated as do not have the financial resources of the upper tier clubs and will find the going tough to match their 2008 results. They have made some telling signings with young Croatian star Josip Knežević from Osijek and Denys Dedechko from Dynamo Kyiv as well as bringing Nikita Burmistrov in on-loan from CSKA Moscow and see promising Armenian defender Arthur Stepanyan return from loan assignment.