LOSKOV TO LEAD LOKOMOTIV AGAINST TOM

Charging into the final third of the campaign, the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia returns to play this weekend in match-day twenty-one and a series of crucial contests. While Zenit Saint Petersburg looks to be sailing clear to the victor’s podium, the race could not be tighter for berths on the European stage.


The action gets underway Saturday as Rashid Rakhimov’s Amkar Perm welcomes Krylya Sovetov in a relegation battle of enormous importance. The Samaran’s lodged their first victory this year under manager Alexandr Tarkhanov last week in a shocking upset of Nalchik but have otherwise been a highly disciplined unit since he returned for his third stint with the club. The arrival of Pavel Yakovlev, on loan from Spartak, could be the masterstroke that saves them from relegation, as the young gun is capable of providing the attacking impetus that has been lacking. While Amkar Perm sits four points above the drop zone, Rashid Rakhimov’s Red-Black unit is far from inspiring. Last week they were run roughshod by Rubin Kazan and will need production on the road if they are to escape relegation. However, in their Ural Mountain home they have proven to be a tough competitor with two consecutive victories and will the need the same resolve in this strategically important contest.

Alaniya Vladikavkazv welcomes European hopefuls Rostov after last weeks stunning added-time rally to defeat Sibir Novosibirsk. Vladimir Shevchuk’s side looked to be heading defeat, a costly loss that would have seen their relegation fears heighten but otherwise making steady improvement since the break. Rostov’s surprising race towards a spot in Europe sees them at the fifth spot after edging Anzhi Makhachkala last week in a disciplined display. Oleh Protasov has reworked his tactical plan and over the last six engagements, his side have been a tight defending unit that has surrendered only two goals. That aside, Rostov’s once potent flanking assault has been lacking and will need to produce if they are win premier spot in Europe

In the final match of Saturday, coming off their loss to Spartak, Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast entertains Dynamo Moscow to nearby Ramenskoe. The celebrations of July are in the past as Andrey Gordeev’s side have a scant point to show for the last four contests and need to gut out some results or they will feel the heat of the bottom of the table. He will further be without the services of Ruslan Nakhushev, Vadim Evseev and Benoît Angbwa, all out to due to card build-up. Saturn will need veterans Dmitriy Kirichenko, Andrey Karyaka and Denis Boyarintsev to step up against Dynamo if they are to be victorious. The White-Blues might be the anomaly of the league as despite possessing scores of talent, seem to under perform and lack confidence. At some stage, Dynamo will surely boil over and begin to play to their ability and the pedigree of Andriy Voronin and Kevin Kurányi shine through. Miodrag Božović’s men overcame Terek Grozny last week but there is still considerable room for growth. He will be without the surfaces of Andriy Voronin, under suspension, presumably resulting in Martin Jakubko getting a chance to star against his former teammates.

Prepared by John Davies


... but nothing matches the thrill and challenge of having money on the line!

LOKOMOTIV WELCOMES SPARTAK IN MOSCOW DERBY

On Sunday, of week seventeen of the Championship of Russia all eyes will be poised on the final match of the day as Spartak visits Lokomotiv in a Moscow Derby of epic proportion.

The day kicks off with Alaniya Vladikavkaz versus relegation threatened Amkar Perm. Alaniya shocked Nalchik last week with manager Vladimir Shevchuk deploying a much more attack minded set. Amkar is in the midst of a four-match losing streak and only a point above Krylya Sovetov in the relegation zone. Rashid Rakhimov’s anaemic attack needs to find its scoring form but without playmaker Georgiy Peev, out due to injury, their advances have trickled.

Defending champions Rubin Kazan travels to Terek Grozny looking to maintain pressure on the field in pursuit of a Champions League berth. While Zenit possesses a seven-point margin, as well as an additional match to play, Rubin manager Kurban Berdyev has struck gold with the recent signings of former Newcastle striker Oba Martins and Alexey Medvedev. Grozny fell to Rostov last week in a hard fought battle and it is clear that with Blagoy Georgiev their attacking has slowed. Possibly more concerning is the lack of finishing from strikers, forcing Anatoly Baidachny to try a number of combinations.

Of strategic importance CSKA Moscow welcomes Anzhi Makhachkala to Arena Khimki with the Army-Men needing to maintain focus, less then give up more ground in the race. Leonid Slutsky’s new arrivals, Zoran Tosic and Seydou Doumbia, have been brilliant with Vágner Love not missing a beat since returning to the capital. Alan Dzagoev continues to mature into a rising star of the future, particularly from a centralist position but CSKA needs to remain its composure against Anzhi or they will be shocked. Veteran leader Gadzhi Gadzhiev has the Dagestan side in fine form and will deploy a tight, compact stance and look to thwart CSKA’s mercurial attack

In the premier match of the weekend, Spartak visits Lokomotiv in Moscow derby with both sides needing to maintain pace with Nalchik and Rostov for a spot in Europe. Spartak is deeply troubled at eighth in the table but have recently added Nicolás Pareja, from Espanyol and Aiden McGeady from Celtic, with Kirill Kombarov and Dmitriy Kombarov rumoured to be on their way from Dynamo. On the opposite end of the pitch, Lokomotiv mastermind Yuriy Semin welcomes back Oleksandr Aliyev after last week’s abysmal draw against the Samarans. He will be without Tomislav Dujmovic and Dmitriy Torbinski who were both shown red-cards. Both sides are in dire need of a victory, knowing a favourable result could propel their campaign forward, making this derby a heavyweight battle not to be missed.

Prepared by John Davies


... but nothing matches the thrill and challenge of having money on the line!

TIKHONOV DEFENDS KARPIN

The midfielder of Khimki Andrey Tikhonov eyes the situation in Spartak Moscow, his former club.


"Karpin is not to blame," thinks Tikhonov. "I assume that such a wonderful player cannot bring in anything negative to the team only positive."

"Karpin must remain in the club. And those are guilty who enter the field. I cannot comment whether Spartak needs new players but I am sure Karpin should work on."

"It is for the coach to decide but if a goalkeeper goofs regularly it is time to draw conclusions."

... but nothing matches the thrill and challenge of having money on the line!

KARPIN: VICTORIES ALWAYS HELP RAISE SPIRITS

The head coach of Spartak Valeriy Karpin shows optimism before the must-win game against Rubin this weekend.


After the break in the Russian Premier League Spartak had two matches – one it sensationally lost to Rostov and then outplayed Metallurg Lipetsk in the Russian Cup.

"Out of the two matches I liked the one in Rostov-na-Donu best," said Karpin. "Despite the loss there were more movements and idea there."

"Probably that is because on Friday we entered the filed at nine in the evening – in the heat but not in the full blaze of sun. And in Lipetsk we played at 7 p.m. exactly in a sunny spot."

"I liked the way the players performed in the match of the Russian Cup. Not all of them have chances to appear in the starting eleven often. But all of them tried their best."

"The mood of the team improved a bit after the victory in Lipetsk: any victory helps no matter who your opponent is."

"But how effective was this medicine we will see on Saturday. Moreover the players were dejected with the result but not with the feeling that somebody did something wrong. The guys did their best but failed to achieve result."

"Any coach should be ready to such state of affairs when he is about to be sacked and supporters are indignant. You simply live with this – it is a specific feature of my job."

"As for the reaction of the stands I take it for granted: if people are not satisfied with the results you always get criticized. This is typical all worldwide: the greater the status of a club the stronger the views of supporters are."


... but nothing matches the thrill and challenge of having money on the line!

WELLITON TO MISS THE MATCH AGAINST RUBIN

The 23-year old forward of Spartak Moscow Welliton will not take part in the coming match of the Russian Championship against Rubin.


The striker has undergone the medical yesterday concerning the leg injury he acquired in the match of the Russian Cup Round of 32 against Metallurg Lipetsk.

"The Brazilian has the injury of ankle ligaments," commented the head coach of the Red-Whites Valeriy Karpin. "And he cannot appear on the pitch these weekends if there is no miracle."

... but nothing matches the thrill and challenge of having money on the line!

TITOV: SPARTAK LACK LEADERS

Spartak former captain Egor Titov commented on his former club’s performance in the Russian championship.


"With this kind of football, it’s good only that Spartak didn’t concede any goals for the second consecutive match", Titov said to sport press. "Moreover Spartak Nalchik created only one scoring moment in front of Dzhanaev’s goal".

"So I have no claims to their defence line, and I am more concerned that our main attackers Alex, Welliton and Ari cannot score. I hope that Brazilians will find their best game soon".

"Spartak has been playing with one man more than in Nalchik team for more than one hour while ball possession was 73 to 27, however it didn’t bring any positive result at all. We can’t recall any dangerous moments except scoring chances of Ananidze and Jiranek".

"Maybe chances in the roster negatively told upon Spartak. It was stable enough in previous matches, while this time they played without Parshivlyuk, Sheshukov and Ari".

"We shouldn’t forget that there are many young players in the team, while youngsters often alternate good matches with awful ones. Spartak is in process of formation, and it makes me feel concerned about it especially ahead of the Champions League. I think that Spartak will surely reinforce the roster for this competition".

"Spartak lacks such leaders like Alenichev, Tikhonov, Vidic, who could lead others while now I don’t see any players with the same authority in the team and it’s a big problem".

"Ivan Saenko appeared in the starting eleven on Sunday after a long injury lay-off. He has been doing his best, but it was clear that he is returning to his best form very difficultly. When you are one year out of football, only practice can help you gain your best conditions".

LOKOMOTIV VS. DYNAMO PREMIER MATCH ON SUNDAY

The Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia returns on Sunday with four exciting matches, including a Moscow Derby as Dynamo visits Lokomotiv and Spartak's visit of a much-improved Tom Tomsk.


Tom Tomsk - Spartak Moscow

The action gets started on Sunday as Tom Tomsk welcomes Spartak Moscow to Siberia.

Building upon their hard fought victory over Lokomotiv, Spartak manager Valeriy Karpin demonstrated not only a level of coaching maturity but also the ability to vary tactics. After establishing an early lead against Yuriy Semin's Railywaymen, Spartak locked down the affair with a stubborn defending resolve. Interestingly enough, the young tactician may be forced into similar choices as Tomsk has considerable attacking weapons.

Valeriy Nepomnyaschy's Tomsk line-up is not short of quality and the return of Belarusian international Sergey Kornilenko offers them the finishing they desperately needed. Along with former Torpedo Moscow-man Đorđe Jokić as well as Denis Kiselyov and Kyrylo Kovalchuk on the flanks, Tomsk is a very capable of upsetting the best. Though he is excluded from the match, Alexandr Prudnikov arrival on-loan from Spartak, will fit in well and the help push the club forward. Last week, without Sergey Kornilenko due to injury, after giving up two quick own-goals to Krylya Sovetov, they charged back to a 3-2 victory. Tomsk should have their sharpshooter Sergey Kornilenko available as well as welcoming Georgiy Dzhioev and Valeriy Klimov back from suspension, although they will be without the services of Kim Nam-Il, who was red-carded late against the Samaran's.

For Spartak, this match represents an interesting series of tactical choices. New additions Marek Suchý and Ari have shone brightly but as they press against sides outside of the top six, they must show the focus and discipline to finish without failure. Ultimately, this match and the like will prove to be the ultimate decider if they are to stand on the victor’s podium at years end.

Terek Grozny - Krylya Sovetov

In a tale of two sides at opposite ends of the spectrum, troubled Krylya Sovetov travels to the Chechen region to face Terek Grozny on Sunday afternoon.

The Samaran's severe financial problems have constricted their efforts to attract talent and three weeks into new campaign, it is painfully evident on the pitch. Manager Yuriy Gazzaev deserves of the highest accolades given the situation but after three consecutive losses, in which they only have two own-goals by the opposition to note, the Samaran's are in deep trouble. Oddly, the line-up does that some very fine talent but it will take strong leadership, likely coming from the likes of veteran Ruslan Adzhindzhal, to demonstrate greater confidence.

On the opposite side of the equation is Terek Grozny. Undefeated after three weeks, the Chechen side played defending champion Rubin Kazan to a draw and in-fact, came close to earning the win. The flourishing attack of Blagoy Georgiev, Hector Bracamonte and Shamil Asildarov is in the early stages of learning each other’s traits but in time will become a potent offence. Their voracious supporters will be out in full force as Grozny looks to unleash its full potential against troubled Krylya Sovetov.

Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast – Rubin Kazan

After faltering against Terek Grozny, defending champions Rubin Kazan look to the find their winning ways as they travel to face Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast in Ramenskoe on Sunday afternoon.

Andrey Gordeev’s side have had a very difficult start to the new campaign with the attack sputtering with the absences of Dmitriy Loskov and Marko Topić. Though last week at Rostov, Dmitriy Loskov returned late, Saturn's attack has been inconsistent and well-below their pedigree. Against Rubin Kazan, they face a daunting task as the defending champions have yet to surrender a goal this year.

Despite being undefeated, Rubin Kazan is decidedly under-performing from the high standards they set in the previous two years. Fortunate to defeat nine-man Tom Tomsk the previous Monday, Terek Grozny held them to a scoreless draw. Along with the loss of Alejandro Domínguez to Valencia, Rubin has been plagued with injuries that includes the extended absence of Sergey Semak as well as Vitaliy Kaleshin, Roman Sharonov, Rafał Murawski and will be without Gökdeniz Karadeniz for at least two weeks. On the positive side, Fatih Tekke has fit in quickly and Rubin is ready for a break out. The question is now whether Saturn can rise to the occasion or see their slow start continue.

Lokomotiv Moscow – Dynamo Moscow

In the final match of week four of the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia, Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo in a Moscow Derby as both sides are coming off hard fought losses.

Lokomotiv has maintained its unbeaten run at home since the return of Yuriy Semin last May but will face a tough challenge to keep that record intact against Dynamo. Last week against Spartak, after falling behind by two goals early they diligently worked their way back and came with a fraction of levelling as Oleksandr Aliyev’s free kick rasped off the cross bar as time ran out. However, the absence of Wágner is weighing heavy on the Railwaymen attack and strikers Peter Odemwingie and Dramane Traoré have had problems finishing.

Scheduling has pushed Dynamo to the limit, with an opening run that includes two Moscow Derby's and last week battle against Zenit Saint Petersburg. However, in each test Andrey Kobelev’s line-up that features new additions Igor Semshov, Aleksandr Samedov and Andriy Voronin has impressed with teen Alexandr Kokorin a constant threat with flanking assaults.

This edition of the Moscow Derby is the perfect conclusion to the weekend and has all the makings of the one of the top matches of the young season and a tactical gem.

Prepared by John Davies

SPARTAK WELCOMES LOKOMOTIV ON SUNDAY

The premier match on Sunday of week three of the Russian Championship is unquestionably the Moscow derby between Spartak and Lokomotiv at Luzhniki Stadium.


Spartak Moscow – Lokomotiv Moscow

Spartak enters the match in clear need of their first victory of the year. The Krasno-belye cannot afford to defending champions Rubin Kazan to extend their lead as it already stands at a hefty fifty points. Standing in their way is Yuriy Semin's Lokomotiv, who excluding a late collapse in the opening week loss to Rubin have been near perfect. Rebounding from loss, the Railwayman overwhelmed Krylya Sovetov last week with overwhelming display. Lokomotiv welcomed Dmitriy Torbinsky back, after missing the opening day due to a suspension that carried over from last year and his presence was notable as Yuriy Semin’s side showed greater attacking vision and once again, commanding in the defending end. New signing Oleksandr Aliyev has established his booming leg and solid promise as a two-way team player. Finishing has been less than optimal, with Peter Odemwingie and Dramane Traoré off the mark but are highly capable.

After a trying opening day against Dynamo, Spartak showed a venomous attack against Zenit Saint Petersburg early, only to be outmatched by goalkeeper Soslan Dzhanaev's man of the match performance. In their first starting assignments, Ari was a perfect supporting striker for Welliton.and Marek Suchý, on-loan from Slavia Praha, had a role in the opening goal as well as keeping Alexandr Kerzhakov in check. All signs point to the tactical gem of a match with opportunities greatly limited.

Rubin Kazan – Terek Grozny

On Sunday Rubin Kazan focus their efforts on maintaining their perfect record to the start of the new campaign as they welcome Terek Grozny to Central Stadium.

Grozny has shown well in the opening two weeks, though last weeks home opener saw an otherwise superb performance against Rostov spoiled with a late leveller by Mersudin Ahmetović. The Chechen side have done well in the past against Rubin but this years unit, led by Bulgarian playmaker Blagoy Georgiev, with strikers Shamil Asildarov and Hector Bracamonte will need to step up the pace against the defending champions.

Defending champions Rubin Kazan, despite a perfect record are definitely suffering through a slow start. They were fortunate to come out with a win against Tom Tomsk on Monday, due in part to a series of highly questionable calls after stymied in the opening week against Lokomotiv until the Railwaymen ran out of steam late. That aside, a perfect record even when you are not in top form speaks volumes and Kurban Berdyev's side possess plenty of firepower. Of special note, Andrei Gorbanets and Alan Kasaev have quickly emerged in the midfield and with Rubin no longer burdened with European competition, they could distance themselves from the field early in the season.

Rostov – Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast

In the final match of the weekend, Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast visits Rostov with both sides in the hunt for their first victory of the new year.

Andrey Gordeev’s Ramenskoe based side have been deeply disappointed with their opening two weeks. Fortunate to with Alaniya Vladikavkaz and Sibir Novosibirsk on the schedule, they have only been able to come out with two draws, marked with inconsistent play. In a confusing performance last week against the visiting Siberian side, they were out worked in opening forty-five minute before taking charge after the break. Despite their quality, they have yet to show the same tenacity as last year and need to break out quickly before they drop too many points against lower division sides. However, Saturn's fortunes could make a drastic turnaround shortly with the news that Dmitriy Loskov is ready to return. Though it is unclear at this time if legendary attacker is ready to return, no less against Rostov where his career begin, his impact will be notable and must be watched.

Rostov comes into the match looking to wipe the slate clean of the opening weeks. They followed up the opening day loss to Tomsk with an extremely fortunate draw to Terek Grozny last week. Outplayed from the opening whistle, excluding a late strike, Rostov has lacked syncopation. Despite this, Rostov possesses some very fine talent and capable of far more than what they have shown. Alexandr Pavlenko and Alexandru Gaţcan have shown very well in the midfield and it is only time until Roman Adamov finds the mark and helps turn Rostov's season around.

Prepared by John Davies

YURAN: I LIKED DYNAMO MORE THAN OTHERS

Sport press experts Yuriy Ivanov and Sergey Yuran comment on Premier League first two weeks of action.


"Russian clubs demonstrated absolutely different football at the start of the championship, and it’s clear that teams are in different form now", Yuriy Ivanov commented.

"Two weeks are not very long period of time, however it was enough for superficial acquaintance with the teams. Fans and specialists got an opportunity to assess all changes made by the clubs in winter break".

"For example, I liked new Dynamo, I was not disappointed by Rubin and CSKA, and I got pleasant impressions from Spartak and Zenit".

"Financial crisis divided teams into two groups and it influenced the first results of the season. Poorer clubs achieved modest results and I am sure that their far-going ambitions won’t compensate lack of high-class players".

"I mentioned that teams get used to the new season not very quickly", said Sergey Yuran. "And reason of it is easy to understand, because coaches want to increase tempo little by little. As the result players will gain their best form only by the fifth or sixth matchday".

"Teams also lack playing practice. Trial games don’t give clubs necessary preparation, and they have to re-establish their skills in official matches".

"After the first two weekends I liked Dynamo more than other teams. It’s surprising that looking at their well-balanced play, you don’t mention big number of their newcomers".

"I also Liked Rubin, Lokomotiv and Tom. I suppose that Rubin and Dynamo are in the group of the main contenders for the title this year. Both teams are well disciplined and stick to the head coach’s directions".

"Spartak was overwhelmed by emotions in the match with Dynamo. They didn’t show their football, though they demonstrated their best qualities".

"I agree that difference between leading group of six and other clubs is enormous this season. I don’t want to hurt Anzhi, Alaniya or Sibir, but it’s evident that difference between them and favourites are very big".

MOSCOW DERBY HIGHLIGHTS PREMIER LEAGUE SUNDAY PROGRAM

Schedulers in the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia saved the higher profile matches for the last, as the top of the table will battle on Sunday, with defending champions Rubin Kazan in a rare Monday match-up.


On Sunday afternoon, the Petrovsky faithful will be in full force as Spartak Moscow visits Zenit Saint Petersburg. The opening weeks for both sides were less than fulfilling as Spartak saw their much-lauded attack well controlled by Dynamo, in route to a loss, whilst Zenit was greatly limited by Krylya Sovetov. Whilst the opening week contest saw Valeriy Karpin’s run into an inspired performance by Dynamo and a possible hint of a shape of things to come from the White-Blues this year, Zenit, despite all the fan fare looked disjointed against the Samara.

In his comments to sport press, Mr. Karpin succinctly noted the Krasno-belye’s chief problem was the lack of movement and “complacency” and the youthful manager will ensure his side are more than prepared for higher work rate. Without a doubt, Spartak will need great attacking vision cutting upon Zenit and if last week is any in Luciano Spalletti’s debut in-charge of the Saint Petersburg side, they will be very patient going forward. The former Roma manger deployed his customary 4-2-3-1 formation but service to striker Alexandr Kerzhakov was terribly lacking and for the most part, efforts were of the low probability kind. Should Zenit not show a greater attacking vision, this match could grind out to a mid-field affair with Spartak the initiator.

Dynamo gets no break from back-to-back opening week Moscow Derby's as they go up against CSKA. It was hard not to come out for Dynamo’s victory over Spartak and question whether manager Andrey Kobelev has created a masterpiece in their winter signings. The White-Blues played as a team, with gritty resolve against their rivals and Andriy Voronin sparkled at times as well as showing a venomous desire to win.

This has all the makings of classic Derby battle as CSKA, coming off the highs of winning advancement to the Champions League quarterfinals will be ripe for an upset. Dynamo, who were brilliant in limiting Spartak last week, will need to the do same against Leonid Slutsky’s attacking quad of Miloš Krasić, Alan Dzagoev, Keisuke Honda and Tomáš Necid. The test for the Army-Men manager is to control the reigns of his side and return focus for the domestic campaign, starting with Sunday’s crucial test.

On Monday, defending champions Rubin Kazan will need to be careful in their visit Tom Tomsk or the Siberian side could steal points from them. After their extra-time loss to Wolfsburg in the Europa League, Kurban Berdyev will direct his side towards winning their third successive domestic crown. Standing in their way will be a Tom Tomsk, who were superb last week, with Sergei Kornilenko leading the way in a 2-0 defeat of Rostov.

The Belarusian international returned to Siberia, on-loan from Zenit Saint-Petersburg and immediately reaffirmed his goal-scoring prowess with two highly professional marks. Tomsk manager Valeriy Nepomnyaschy saw youngster Andrey Ivanov shine after summoning him at the hour and will be tempted to give him a spot in the starting eleven. Mr. Berdyev has consistently shown the ability to juggle his line-up, getting the best from his side and will need to do so again on Monday to push past the stubborn Siberian side.

Prepared by John Davies

SPARTAK TAKES ON DYNAMO ON SUNDAY

Russian Premier League Week 1 program will finish with four matches on Sunday with Spartak vs. Dynamo Moscow derby being the main attraction of the day.


Sibir Novosibirsk v Terek Grozny

The opening match on Sunday has newly promoted Sibir Novosibirsk welcome Terek Grozny to the chilly confines of Spartak Stadium.

Despite flirting with relegation last season, Chechnya's Terek Grozny fine stable of talent have them on paper able to contest for a mid-table finish. Combining always-dangerous playmaker Blagoy Georgiev with veteran striker Hector Bracamonte, assuming he is fully fit, Grozny will cause a number of surprises. Anatoly Baidachny's side have unloaded Romanian's Andrei Mărgăritescu, Daniel Pancu and Florentin Petre and made the superb additions of Maurício from Fluminense, Hugo Báez from CSKA Sofia as well Spartak Nalchik trio, Antonio Ferreira, Dmitriy Yatchenko and Shamil Asildarov.

Sibir Novosibirsk enters the top flight of Russian football for the first time in its history and facing a yearlong fight to avoid relegation. Manager Igor Kriushenko tactical approach will be tested as his Siberian side is lacking in overall talent. Novosibirsk will need veteran strikers Alexandr Antipenko, Alexey Medvedev and Gennadiy Bliznyuk to produce if they are to have a chance. In Sunday’s match, unquestionably weather will be highly influential as mid March in Siberia will see temperatures well below freezing.

Rubin Kazan v Lokomotiv Moscow

In one of the weekend’s most exciting matches, Yuriy Semin's Lokomotiv Moscow visit defending champions Rubin Kazan.

Kurban Berdyev's Rubin Kazan has adjusted with the loss of striker Alejandro Domínguez to Valencia with the addition of Fatih Tekke from Zenit Saint Petersburg but otherwise been quiet in their acquisitions compared to his competition. Last year the manager was brilliant in juggling his line-up but Rubin faces considerable challenges this year with heavier demands that includes this past Thursdays Europa League test against VfL Wolfsburg.

As with other managerial success stories, Anatoliy Davydov, Leonid Slutsky and Valeriy Karpin, this past May saw the triumphant return of Yuriy Semin to Lokomotiv Moscow from Dynamo Kiev. Under the guise of the Peoples Coach, the Railwaymen were nothing short of brilliant in rising to the fourth spot despite a number of personnel shortfalls. After the departure of Diniyar Bilyaletdinov’s to Everton, Dmitriy Sychev and Denis Glushakov picked up the slack and provided brilliant leadership. The further addition of Wágner quickly proved to be a masterstroke with Alan Gatagov quickly developing into one of Russia’s top teen products. In a last minute signing raid, Mr. Semin has bolstered his side with Branko Ilič from FC Moskva and exciting attacker Maicon from Fluminense of the Brasileirão. Striker Peter Odemwingie is finally playing up to his vast potential and should he and new additional, Ukrainian international Oleksandr Aliyev have the type of years they are capable of, Lokomtiv will threaten for a Champions League spot.

Alania Vladikavkaz v Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast

In one of the weekend’s more interesting contests, Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast visits Alania Vladikavkaz.

Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast, who soared once Andrey Gordeev took over from Jürgen Röber are targeting a top six finish. The Ramenskoe-based side boast a impressive veteran line-up of Dmitriy Loskov, Andrei Karyaka, Dmitriy Kirichenko and Marko Topić and with the additions of Denis Boyarintsev and Martin Jakubko are more than capable of testing a spot in Europe.

Alania Vladikavkaz benefited from FC Moscow's fall and return to the top flight of Russian football after five years in the lower division. Vladimir Shevchuk's side have acted quickly, adding Sani Kaita, on loan from AS Monaco, as well as CSKA Sofia duo Ivan Ivanov and Ivan Stoyanov but will need to squeeze out points against lower tier sides to avoid relegation in what will be a challenging season.

Spartak Moscow v Dynamo Moscow

The final match of Sunday sets the stage for the Moscow derby between Spartak and Dynamo at Luzhniki Stadium.

Finishing second last year, Spartak Moscow was led by virtuoso Valeriy Karpin who immediately injected a youthful flourish to the Krasno-belye. Resurrecting visions of the legendary Oleg Romantsev, Spartak responded to the new leader with scoring machine Welliton terrorizing the opposition as the leagues top goal-scorer. Along with teen protégé's Pavel Yakovlev and Jano Ananidze, and Alex, who displayed an uncanny attacking vision, Spartak have added Ari from AZ, along with the return Artem Dzyuba and Alexandr Prudnikov from loan assignment. Spartak line-up have shored up defending with Marek Suchý on loan from Slavia Praha and Nikola Drinčić from Amkar Perm, though the latter is out with long term injury.

Dynamo Moscow return to the hunt for a top six finish after a disappointing second half last year that that saw them drift to a eighth place finish. Besieged with Troubled with injury problems, White-Blues manager Andrey Kobelev was challenged at times merely to field a proper line-up and have clearly prioritized depth this winter. Dynamo has been one of the biggest winners in the acquisition market this winter with the formidable additions of Russian international Alexey Rebko as well as Alexandru Epureanu, Alexandr Samedov and Edgaras Česnauskis from FC Moscow, Andriy Voronin from Liverpool as well as return of veteran Igor Semshov from Zenit Saint Petersburg.

SHESHUKOV RETURNS TO SPARTAK ON A THREE-YEAR DEAL

Alexandr Sheshukov returned to Spartak Moscow after six-year break by signing a three-year contract.


The 26-year-old FC Moskva former man made a comeback to Spartak and inked a contract for three years.

"I think that I won’t have any problems with adaptation, because I have known many players before", said Sheshukov to Sport Express. "The first minutes of the friendly match with Terek were tough, because previously I had slight trainings. I see that my partners look much better than me, so I will have to catch up with their form in those weeks left before the start of the Russian championship".

"Spartak was interested in me in summer 2009, but we didn’t manage to settle everything quickly. This year Moscow club was the only one, which made a concrete offer to me".

"When the sad story of FC Moskva’s problems began, it was difficult to understand that your club could disappear at once. Information was always contradictory, as one said that Moskva would stay and other people said that the club would finish its existence".

"We tried not to think about it during our trainings, but these troubles don’t go without a trace. I am sure that each of us had bad thoughts in our minds".