Through the derby to the stars: CSKA and Spartak will compete for a place in the top five

The Russian Championship has finally turned into a race where any misfire can cost several positions. After 11 rounds, the five gold contenders are separated by only three points. Dynamo leads the table with 25 points, Zenit is one behind, Spartak is two behind, CSKA and Krasnodar are three behind. The situation is likely to change next weekend, if only because the two contenders will face each other in the Moscow derby. For some, this is an opportunity to get ahead, for others, it is a risk of falling behind competitors. And all this against the background of Dynamo's unexpected leadership, Krasnodar's problems, and Lokomotiv's ongoing attempts to save the season.

CSKA Moscow – Spartak

CSKA were the most stable team at the start, with zero defeats in the first ten rounds. Dmitry Igdisamov deservedly collected compliments for his work with the team. But in the previous round, the first serious blow happened — 1:3 from Dynamo. Now the red and blue have another capital derby ahead of them, and the opponent is in a much more pleasant emotional state.

Spartak defeated Rubin 4-0. Juan Carlos Carcedo's team not only scored three points, but once again demonstrated its attacking potential. After 11 rounds, the red and white are already third and ahead of CSKA by one point. Winning the derby will allow you to build on your success and declare your championship prospects not only in words.

The army has the opposite task. We need to prove that the defeat against Dynamo was an unfortunate accident, and not a sign of an incipient recession. Otherwise, in one week, Igdisamov's team will lose a significant part of what it earned over the previous two and a half months.

However, the value of the derby goes far beyond three points. This season, the fight at the top is so intense that the loser risks being caught up for a long time. But the winter break is still far away.

Akron – Dynamo (Moscow)

Dynamo continues to amaze. The 3-1 victory over CSKA Moscow was another confirmation that the leadership of the blue and white team was not an accident. Sandro Schwartz's team has already beaten several serious rivals and is gradually turning from a pleasant surprise into one of the main favorites of the season.

But now another story begins. It's one thing to go to matches with the grandees when you don't have to look for additional motivation. It's quite another thing to go to Samara to join Akron as the leader of the championship. Here, Dynamo is expected to win exclusively, and any loss of points will be considered a failure.

Moreover, Tolyatti residents, despite their modest position in the table, are not a gift at all. The team knows how to impose a fight on the favorites: in September, for example, they took away points from Krasnodar (1:1).

For the blue and white team, this match will be a test not so much of the quality of the game as of the championship character. The team has already proved that it is capable of defeating the strongest. But it is necessary to take your own where victory seems obligatory.

"For me, there are no authorities on the field — everyone has two arms and two legs"

Lokomotiv football player Ilya Yeremeyev — about the junction with Barrios, the team's results in the RPL and the consequences of losing leaders

Krasnodar – Baltika

Krasnodar got into an unpleasant situation. Murad Musayev's team had a great start to the championship, but in the fall they seemed to have forgotten how to win. In the previous round, the Bulls scored a 3-3 shootout with Lokomotiv. It was beautiful for a neutral spectator, but it was not the result that a gold contender needed.

The unbeaten streak in the RPL has reached five matches. And this was after the start, when the Southerners looked like the main favorite of the season. Now, instead of sole leadership, there is fifth place and the need to constantly look back at competitors.

The problem is not so much the lost points as the nature of the game. Krasnodar is still capable of creating chances and scoring, but too often it allows opponents to do the same. In the last two matches of the championship, the Bulls conceded six goals — three from Zenit and three from Lokomotiv. With such defensive performance, it will be difficult to stay in the championship race.

Baltika is not the most convenient opponent to overcome the crisis. Kaliningrad residents know how to endure, fight and turn the lives of their favorites into torment. In the 11th round, they played Rostov to zero, and earlier they took away points from Akhmat.

The question is whether Krasnodar will finally be able to play not only brightly, but also reliably. One more misfire, and talk of a temporary recession will finally turn into a discussion of a full—fledged crisis.

Rostov – Lokomotiv

Lokomotiv is one of the main mysteries of the championship. On the one hand, Mikhail Galaktionov's team is gradually recovering from a disastrous start. Defeated Fakel (5-0), then scored three goals for Krasnodar and took away points from one of the contenders for gold. It would seem that life is getting better.

But there is a significant problem: there are still catastrophically few victories. Only two in 11 league matches. The Railwaymen occupy 12th place and are dangerously close to the junction area. For a club that is used to competing for medals, this is a completely unusual reality.

Dynamo — the machine: blue and white took the lead in the RPL after defeating CSKA

Schwartz's team has won its seventh consecutive league match.

Of course, a draw with Krasnodar is a result that can be counted as an asset. But only if it becomes a starting point for further ascent. Otherwise, three goals against one of the leaders will remain a beautiful episode.

If successful with Rostov, Lokomotiv will have the opportunity to finally push off from the bottom of the table. If unsuccessful, talks about recovery will have to be postponed again.

Zenit – Dynamo (Makhachkala)

Zenit got close to the top. After defeating Akhmat (3-2), Sergey Semak's team is only one point behind Dynamo Moscow. This means that he can return to the first place in the next round.

Moreover, the calendar seems to play along with the Petersburgers. While CSKA and Spartak will take points from each other, and Dynamo will go to visit the reviving Akron, the blue-white-blues will host Dynamo Makhachkala.

But counting three points in advance would be too optimistic. The match with Akhmat showed that Zenit's problems with outsiders have not disappeared. The Petersburgers won only thanks to a goal in the last minutes, and the defense again allowed the opponent to score twice. In just 11 rounds, the team conceded 13 goals, which is unexpectedly high for a team with such capabilities.

The Makhachkala team must be extremely motivated — in the last seven matches, only one win and one draw make them come out as aggressive as possible. In addition, the guests will not have to come up with anything new: disciplined defense, density in the center of the field and quick counterattacks are exactly the tools that can create problems for the favorite.