Autumn suspension: Krasnodar risks moving away from the championship race

In the 14th round of the Russian Premier League, Krasnodar will try to put an end to the protracted crisis in the match with CSKA, Spartak will consolidate its success after defeating Lokomotiv, and Sandro Schwartz's Dynamo will continue its pursuit of first place. Against the background of a tight fight at the top of the table, any misfire can seriously affect the teams' championship prospects. The main intrigues of the upcoming meetings are described in the Izvestia article.

Krasnodar — CSKA

A month and a half ago, Krasnodar was in the lead, but now the Bulls have seven matches without a win in the championship! Five draws, two defeats, the last one from the RPL debutant Rodina (1:2). It has not been possible to win the tournament since the end of August.

The reasons for the crisis are generally clear: Spertsyan's departure, Krivtsov's severe injury, Cordoba's decline, and the lack of a worthy replacement for the main creators. The team has lost the usual attacking game mechanisms, but has not found any new ones yet.

But the most disturbing thing is that failures no longer depend on the class of the opponents. You can understand the defeat against Zenit and explain the draw with Lokomotiv by the difficult nature of the meeting. But when a contender for the championship is unable to beat Rodina, the questions become much more serious.

At the same time, Krasnodar is still fifth, just three points behind CSKA and Spartak. One victory can significantly improve the situation. But first you need to win it.

And now the army men will come to visit, who, after ten rounds without defeats, gradually face the first difficulties. In the derby with Dynamo, Dmitry Igdisamov's team lost, then confidently beat Spartak, but failed to score in Orenburg — 0-0.

For CSKA, this is another match with a direct competitor and a test of championship ambitions. For Musayev— this is probably the most important meeting of the autumn. Because it will be extremely difficult to explain the eighth consecutive match without a win in the RPL with a temporary decline.

Lokomotiv — Rubin

11 points after 13 rounds. There was no worse start in the Russian history of Lokomotiv, even with a two-point system for the victory. 14th place, joint zone, home 0:4 from Spartak. The railwaymen are going downhill, and it is not yet clear where they will stop.

The departure of Batrakov, Karpukas, Vorobyov and Prutsev, the unequal reinforcement, and the subsequent problems with the restructuring of the game are objective reasons. But there are enough questions for Mikhail Galaktionov. Even the weakened Lokomotiv squad doesn't look weak enough to hang around at the bottom of the table.

Now it's not just about the results. According to media reports, after the derby debacle, the departure of the head coach is being discussed. Moreover, it was reported that the management asked Galaktionov to stay until the match with Rubin in order to have time to find a successor during the national team break.

If this is true, Friday's meeting may be the last for a specialist who recently fought with the team for medals.

Moreover, the opponent also went through a coaching reshuffle. After Frank Artiga's dismissal, Rubin was entrusted to Oleg Kuzmin, who immediately defeated Fakel 1-0. Kazan moved up to tenth place and received the necessary psychological respite.

Two clubs that recently had much higher ambitions are now solving problems at the bottom of the table. Only Rubin has already decided to make changes, while Lokomotiv is still choosing its way forward.

And hardly anyone could have imagined such an intrigue of this meeting before the start of the season.

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Fakel — Dynamo (Moscow)

Two defeats in a row — against Akron in the championship and Krasnodar in the Cup — made me wonder if the amazing story of the transformation of the blue and white was coming to an end. But Sandro Schwartz's team quickly reassured the fans by beating Akhmat 2-0.

And I kept the gate dry again.

The German, who was known primarily for his bright attacking football in the first Moscow period, has now built a much more balanced team. She not only creates chances, but also knows how to defend herself reliably.

Even after the misfire with Akron, Dynamo remain second, just two points behind Zenit. And they still have every reason to expect to fight for gold.

It doesn't seem like there should be any problems in Voronezh. Fakel is in last place, having scored only six points in 13 rounds. But the blue and white team has already seen in the match with Akron that underestimating opponents from the bottom of the table can be costly. And the Voronezh team also has a new coach, Hasanbi Bijiyev.

Therefore, the main question is not so much whether Dynamo will win, but how seriously the team is ready to take such meetings. After all, the championship is earned not only in the derby, but also in matches where three points seem mandatory.

Spartak — Akron

Spartak is in a good mood after defeating Lokomotiv 4-0. Moreover, not only the score is important, but also the confidence with which Juan Carcedo's team held the derby. Three goals before the break, good movement, aggression, taking advantage of the opponent's mistakes. The red and white have once again reminded us of their potential.

Of course, Loko is in such a state now that even a major victory over it should not be overestimated. But a derby is still a derby. Moreover, for Spartak it was an opportunity to get rid of an unpleasant series of failures in matches with Moscow rivals.

Now the red and white have scored 26 points and are only four points behind the leading Zenit. The fight for the title continues!

However, it is not enough to periodically give out luxurious matches for the championship. We need stability. And the meeting with Akron will be another test, albeit of a completely different nature.

Tolyatti residents are in the joint zone, they miss a lot, but they are able to cause problems for the favorites. Let's recall at least the recent 3-1 victory over Dynamo.

Therefore, it is especially important for Spartak not only to continue its successful streak, but to show that the team knows how to take derbies and matches against outsiders equally seriously.

Zenit — Rostov

While competitors are winning and losing points, Zenit is gradually returning to its usual role as the main contender for gold.

After an unsuccessful start to the season, St. Petersburg gained momentum, and in the last rounds they confidently dealt with Dynamo Makhachkala and Krylia Sovetov — 2:0 and 3:0. Already 30 points after 13 matches, the sole leadership.

Moreover, Sergey Semak gets the result not only thanks to Maxim Glushenkov. Alexander Sobolev scored a double in Samara, and Karpukas scored another goal. The depth of the squad allows Petersburgers to find different ways to achieve victories.

However, Rostov is a much more serious opponent than it might seem.

After a difficult start to the season, the Donetsk team is gradually improving the situation. Dry wins over Lokomotiv (2:0) and Dynamo Makhachkala (3:0) allowed them to rise to sixth place.

The question is whether this progress is enough to impose a struggle on the leader. Zenit looks confident now, but Rostov no longer looks like a team that can be beaten only by the difference in class.

For Petersburgers, this is an opportunity to take a break for the national team games at the top of the table. And for the Donetsk team, it's a chance to prove that they can compete not only with teams from the bottom of the table.