A new test for Stankovic and a question about Zenit. Intrigues of the second round of the RPL
Dmitry Zimin July 26, 2024, 12:00 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Spartak is expecting a difficult match against Khimki, the defending champions are going to Kazan. The first Moscow derby of the season will take place there!
The first round of the RPL went almost unnoticed. There were brilliant matches, unexpected results and even mini-scandals. And today the 2nd round will start, where it will be no less interesting. After all, we are waiting for the first Moscow derby of the season, a new test for Dejan Stankovic, now a debutant, and an intriguing trip of Zenit to Kazan.
First up is Samara. Krylya Sovetov may have tough opponents at the start, but they have two home games. In the previous one, however, they conceded four against Zenit. But they were forced to score themselves. Letts was too good to prevent them from doing so. However, the team has an attack, despite Saltykov’s absence. And with Rostov they have to make up for the loss in the match against St. Petersburg.
Although the statistics do not favour Igor Osinkin’s team. In the last five matches, the Samara team has only one victory over the Donetsk team. And four defeats. Karpin is really confident against this opponent. Although the first round did not give a clear answer to what Rostov will qualify for this season. After all, the goalless draw with CSKA impressed few.
Paris NN has started the season poorly. Rubin’s four goals conceded clearly do not bring us any closer to the regional leadership’s goal of breaking into the top 10. Yes, the attack was good at times, but overall the team does not seem ready to fight for places even in the middle of the table. And the future of Sasa Ilic raises even more questions: can he turn things around and finally win on home soil for the first time in 2024?
CSKA is definitely not the most pleasant opponent for this. With Rostov, Marko Nikolic showed that he is doing everything possible to adapt the team to his style. And he makes good use of the weak points, if there are any. Pari NN definitely has enough of them. So we can’t expect any sensations.
Zenit had almost the best start to the season: four goals in the Super Cup and then the same number against Krylia. Yes, going to Kazan is always a challenge. Rakhimov has built a team that is capable of taking points from any opponent. However, the St. Petersburg team now looks absolutely confident and incapable of losing points. Moreover, there is additional motivation, because it was Rubin that made it very difficult for Semak’s team to win the championship in the spring. And then there was the famous story about Bezrukov’s money…
The Kazan team is doing very well at the start. We faced Paris NN with confidence, although there were difficulties in defence, especially in the second half. But Zenit will definitely not have it easy in Kazan. And they are unlikely to continue the trend of scoring a large number of goals.
And here is the first Moscow derby of the season. Dynamo, although it has many problems, mainly in the centre of defence, started the season confidently. But it is important to admit that “Fakel” did not offer much resistance. In the first round, Voronezh is one of the main disappointments, along with Nizhny Novgorod.
Lokomotiv played very open football against Akron and could have lost. But the Togliatti team did not take advantage of many opportunities in the second half. Dynamo will clearly play in a more organized way. Especially in attack. In addition, the Lichka team has very positive statistics against this opponent: the last time Loko won was in 2019.
The Voronezh team will open the new stadium with a match against Akron. This is a big event for the city, so the team has no right to disappoint you. Although in the first match of the season they definitely did not play as expected of them. Everyone knows that Fakel is a local team and that they will score points on their own field. It will be interesting to see how Akron will perform against such a defensive opponent. With Loko they acted openly and brilliantly. At the same time they conceded three goals. The Torch will clearly require a different strategy. But will it be possible to implement it?
After the defeat to Orenburg, Dejan Stankovic faces an equally difficult test – Khimki. In the first round, Frank Artiga showed that he was going to instill an attacking style. That is why it will be important for Spartak not to forget about defense. After all, Mirzov and the others are certainly capable of causing problems for Khlusevich and Denisov.
It is also important to score points. The Red and Whites have finally announced the transfer of Barco. That is why there will now be more variability in attack. It is true that it will be necessary to decide on the central striker if Sobolev is suspended from working with the team. Perhaps Deyan will still give a chance to Meleshin, who showed himself well in the training camp.
For Orenburg, two home games in a row is almost the ideal scenario for a positive start. We have already beaten Spartak, and then we will meet Akhmat. In the first round, the team from Grozny proved that they can play in an organized way with any opponent. A draw at home against Krasnodar would definitely suit them. And they could even have won, but they were a little unlucky. Deograsia is unlikely to expect such freedom in attack as Spartak gave them. So the match will probably be more difficult for the home team.
Krasnodar lost points to Akhmat in the first round. And to the point. Murad Musaev’s team misses Cordoba, Olasa and Castano very much and they will definitely not be ready to take the field in Makhachkala. Without them, there are problems both in defense and attack.
In the first round, Dynamo proved that they are ready to play against their rivals. They close up and act as number two. This had its effect: a draw on a foreign field is definitely not the worst result for a newcomer. Whether it will be even more difficult against Krasnodar is another question. Despite the absence of Cordoba, the team knows how to score points and act aggressively.
