In the third round, Zenit will play with Spartak, and CSKA with Lokomotiv. For the first time, the four best clubs of the last season and the four favorites of the current communicate without intermediaries. And also without discounts on spring thaw, injuries and not yet conquered peak form. PROport remembered the joints of past years, assessed the condition of rivals and, with the help of experts, predicted possible outcomes.
ZENIT - SPARTAK March 31, St. Petersburg, Petrovsky Stadium
HISTORY OF MEETINGS 24 matches, + 8 = 5-11, goals 29:36.
The last time in the championship of Russia Zenit defeated Spartak in 2004. At the same time, Zenit is the first team that managed to beat Spartak five times in the national championships. MATCH-2006 On April 30, Spartak won 4-1 on Petrovsky, although he scored the first goal in the 3rd minute (Sergey Kovalchuk). The score from the penalty spot was equalized by Roman Pavlyuchenko, and after the break, Mikhailo Pyanovich (twice) and Nikita Bazhenov scored. This was the first game of Spartak after the resignation of Alexander Starkov. Vladimir Fedotov, who accepted the team, later recalled that already in Petersburg, Roman Shishkin, the future opening of the season, was sitting on his bench.
STORY FROM THE PAST ?
In the final round of the 96th championship, only a victory allowed Spartak to catch up with Alania on points and meet the team of Valery Gazzayev in the gold match. Quickly opening an account, Zenit conceded two goals and lost. Moreover, Andrei Tikhonov’s goal from the free kick into the near corner of Roman Berezovsky’s goal looked so curious that quiet conversations about his artificial character continue to this day. The day after the match, Zenit President Vitaly Mutko announced that the contract with head coach Pavel Sadyrin would not be extended. At the beginning of 1998, former Zenit striker Sergei Dmitriev, who remained in that game as a substitute, in an interview with the sports application of the St. Petersburg newspaper Kaleidoscope talked about one man who passed a memorable match and deprived Zenit players of a bonus for winning $ 20,000. Soon, Pavel Sadyrin in conversation with Sport-Express he pointed to Berezovsky, but did not stop there, saying that the goalkeeper passed the game at the request of Mutko, who thus allegedly tried to save on bonus money. President Zenit threatened the former coach with a court, but he did not give a course to the matter, and last year in an interview he opened new details of the events 10 years ago. I am sitting, watching a game, ”Mutko recalled. - We win 1-0, but people come up to me and say: they say, thank you for joining our position. I don’t understand anything that is happening, and suddenly we miss goals. One Ugarov fought that day, but he was replaced. Seven people left Zenith after that season, draw your own conclusions. The last in that story was Dmitriev, who, according to the decision of the FTC in May 1998, was disqualified for creating a scandalous situation that discredited not only Zenit and Spartak clubs, but also all Russian football.
CSKA - LOCOMOTIVE March 31, Moscow, Dynamo Stadium?
HISTORY OF MEETINGS 31 matches, + 9 = 4-18, goals 33:40. ? ?
Lokomotiv is traditionally the most uncomfortable rival for CSKA. The last time he conceded to the army team in July 2003. Then Valery Gazzaev did not even suspect his impending resignation and subsequent triumphant return. MATCH 2006 September 23 Lokomotiv won 2-1. All goals were scored before the break: Dmitry Sychev opened the scoring in the 20th minute, Dudu equalized it in the 36th, and Marat Izmailov closed in the 39th. The rivals met against the backdrop of a newspaper scandal: Loko midfielder Dmitry Loskov said that he was not surprised at the victory of CSKA in Tomsk, and CSKA captain Sergei Ignashevich unexpectedly found a voice and replied that such hints should only be made envious and weak.
STORY FROM THE PAST? ?
In the 2002 championship, CSKA and Lokomotiv scored 66 points each after 30 rounds. At the same time, CSKA Valery Gazzayev defeated Vladimir Shevchuk, Saturn, who fought for 4th place, in the last match of the regular season, and it cost the coach of the workplace near Moscow. In fact, the championship is over, - then said Gazzaev. - CSKA has the most goals, victories, but an additional match remains to be played. Now many say: It will be a pity one of the teams. Nonsense. It is necessary to feel sorry for the elderly, women, children. And here is professional sport. November 21, CSKA and Lokomotiv met in a gold match - the last in the history of the tournament. Dmitry Loskov scored the winning goal already in the 6th minute. Valery Gazzaev already 31 times per game went beyond the technical zone. Jacob Lekheto kept his promise and climbed onto the roof of the base in Bakovka with a crystal cup in his hands - this challenge prize with a bronze figure of a football player on the lid was awarded for the first time that year. Shevchuk Gazzayev subsequently hired CSKA as an assistant.
FINAL FOUR ?
CSKA, Spartak, Lokomotiv and Zenit became the four leaders of the 2006 season after the 17th round, displacing Nalchik from the company. After that, they changed places inside the quartet, but no longer lost sight of each other.
CSKA (1st place) ?
He finally took the lead after a goalless draw with Amkar thanks to a combination of parallel circumstances: in the same round, Lokomotiv failed miserably in Petersburg. CSKA as far removed from the pursuers by four points. The ending with the army team was tense: with gaps after the match in Rostov, with flights to Vladivostok and vice versa.
SPARTAK (2nd place) ?
Having defeated Zenit in Luzhniki, he crept close to the leader, but thrice (from Torpedo, Shinnik and Saturn), leading in the account with one goal, missed in the last minute. After the match in Yaroslav, Titov called the team a dummy.
LOCOMOTIVE (3 place)
Until the 23rd round, he was the leader of the championship, but he defeated Zenit (1: 4) and failed to recover from this blow. Oleg Dolmatov became either a hostage, or the culprit of the failure of the team in the end, and in any case - a symbol of this failure.
ZENIT (4 place)
In the decisive match segment, he lost five points in matches with Rubin and Moscow, and after losing to CSKA in a scandalous game that cost a reputation to referee Pettay, he completely lost the chance to enter the top three.
TONE
ZENIT 1 round - Saturn (d) - 1: 1 2 round - Rostov (g) - 2: 3 ?
Three consecutive matches with Saturn, taking into account the cup matches, at the start of the season is a good test of endurance and ingenuity, but at the same time too poor soil for increasing the motivation of the most ambitious team of the season. On the real Rostov grass, the team of the Lawyer showed that she is able to play fast and score a lot, but she still does not know how to play on the account. Zenit so far operates according to the 4-4-2 scheme, in which the midfield is built by a rhombus and becomes the main and only area of rotation. Injuries are unlikely to allow the goalkeeper Malafeev and midfielder Radimov to play in the main team. Likely composition: Chontofalski - Kim Don Jin, Krizhanats, Skrtel, Anyukov - Zyryanov, Tymoshchuk, Riksen, Denisov - Arshavin, Tekke.
SPARTAK 1 round - Dynamo (d) - 0: 1 2 round - Amkar (d) - 0: 0 ?
Spartak is not fighting for points so far: he is actively looking for himself, groping for the contours of the optimal composition. On the left flank of the defense in a match with Amkar, Kudryashov made his debut rather confidently - the only defender of modern Spartak who regularly and swiftly connects to attacks. But at the first outpost of defense, Mozart's psychosis creates a problem for Vladimir Fedotov with the choice of a second supporting one. The difficulties of creation are connected with the fact that Dziuba is not yet able to create moments for herself autonomously, and the wingers are not fast enough to support him. Likely composition: Pletikosa - Kudryashov, Strantzl, Yiranek, Shishkin - Sabitov, Kovach - Torbinsky, Titov, Bystrov - Dziuba.
CSKA 1 round - Rubin (d) - 3: 1 2 round - Dynamo (g) - 1: 1
The Gazzaev team, which once again reached the early peak of their uniforms for the UEFA Cup matches, in January and February looked much more mobile and fresh than in March. With the sale of Olic, it became more difficult for army men to attack in poor fields, and the head coach, according to the patriarchal Russian tradition, curses after every game. In the center of the field he began to regularly not keep up with Rakhimich rivals, but the team’s most problematic line was defense. For the first time, both brothers of the Berezutsky fell out of order at once. Likely composition: Akinfeev - Grigoriev, Shemberas, Ignashevich - Zhirkov, Rakhimich, Aldonin, Dudu, Krasic - Wagner Love, Jo.
LOCOMOTIVE 1 round - Kuban (d) - 0: 0 2 round - Rubin (d) - 2: 1
The locomotive is the only one in the Big Four that gives the impression of a truly new team. Off-season acquisitions - Rodolfo and Kochish - play in the first team and have clear roles. Anatoly Byshovets 90% determined the composition for himself, the players of the closest reserve compete for only one position - the second striker. A bunch of central defenders Rodolfo - Efimov, despite the novelty, plays easier and more reliable than similar links with other favorites. Likely composition: Yakupovich - Spahich, Rodolfo, Efimov, Ivanovich - Bilyaletdinov, Gurenko, Loskov, Kochish - Sychev, Traore.
TENSION CENTERS
ZENIT-SPARTAK ?
Pavel Pogrebnyak has a chance to see the defense of the club, to which he is still partial. The slow center of Spartak's midfield will play even calmer under the supervision of Anatoly Tymoshchuk. Artem Dziuba and Martin Shkrtel, equal as in selection (both 191 cm tall), will check each other for the hardness of the shoulder.
CSKA-LOCOMOTIVE ?
Anton Grigoriev, or anyone else who has the obviously unfamiliar role of the left central defender, will get Kochish’s mobile and fast opponents. The opening of the first rounds - the central defender Efimov - awaits a genuine test of the most dangerous in the Premier League tandem of forwards Wagner Love - Jo.
BALANCE OF FORCES
ZENIT-SPARTAK ?
Zenit is slightly more likely to win. Of course, the St. Petersburg team did a lot to be considered the favorites of this game and the entire championship, but so far I have a mixed impression on this team. In Rostov, Zenit gave a bright game and led 3-0, but then not only missed two goals, but looked unconvincing in the various phases of the game. Perhaps the opponent was underestimated. The defense of the Petersburgers, which fell into a difficult situation after Rostov led in the count and accelerated the pace, could not be rebuilt. Although the composition of the defensive line of Zenit is in no way inferior to many other clubs in our championship, Petersburgers have a powerful attack and a middle line that can confuse an opponent. Spartak did not manage to increase during the offseason. As a result, there are problems in both attack and defense. Of course, Dziuba is a talented guy, but he alone is not enough to score goals and solve the tasks facing the team. (Haji Hajiyev)
The match in St. Petersburg is clearly the favorite - the hosts. Too many Spartak problems and too Zenith all is well. The only thing that can help the Spartacists is an organized game in defense, both for nominal defenders and midfielders. With such a Zenith it is necessary to rest on what is strength. If Fedotov makes a bet on such a game, then his team has a chance to earn at least one point. (Dmitry Gradilenko) ?
It’s not so easy even with such purchases as Zenith to create a team in a week, two or three. Players must join the team, adapt. Dziuba has similar problems in Spartak: a gifted boy, powerful, knows how to cover the ball and outplay his partner. In his 1988 national team, he was and remains the leader. But in adult football, he is still lacking insolence and even somewhere in the game rudeness. But all this will come with age and experience. Spartak attack is very dependent on the condition of the flank players. I know this on my own, because by a similar pattern I played in Foggia - I acted a little to the left of the center.? (Igor Kolyvanov)
I bet on Zenit, because I am not at all impressed with Spartak. Even the movement of the players shows that the team is poorly prepared for the season. And besides, I do not see Spartak striker, who could score a goal. Neither Bazhenov nor Dziuba are even able to cling to the ball after a banal canopy, then to play it back on Bystrov or, for example, Titov.? (Igor Shalimov)
Forecast: Zenit 50% - draw 10% - Spartak 40%
CSKA-LOCOMOTIVE
The chances are 60 to 40 in favor of CSKA. Almost all players of the club’s foundation are called up to different teams, and this is one of the advantages of CSKA. Thus, they will not even notice that last weekend there was no next round of the Premier League. The locomotive can be prevented by the lack of teamwork - CSKA will not allow them to scatter as much as Rubin allowed. (Dmitry Gradilenko) In the match CSKA and Loko, the odds are equal. Fragments of the game Lokomotiv looks preferable to other rivals, especially in the match against Rubin it was visible. But this game should be perceived more from the perspective of the weakness of the current Rubin. It is not known whether this will happen to the army team. CSKA is now playing a little worse in defense. Players are disturbed by self-confidence. This is manifested in some martial arts, which the army team, according to the logic of things, must win. (Haji Hajiyev)
It’s hard to predict. If there were already seven or eight rounds behind and a group of leaders had formed, another thing. Loko knows how to play combinational football, and CSKA has a stable composition for three seasons. The main task in such matches is not to miss, the game will go to goal. I will assume that both opponents will play from defense. This will be a little more difficult for Gazzayev, who immediately lost both Berezutsky’s systems. But Valery Georgievich is an experienced trainer: I don’t think that he will change the game philosophy, just CSKA will sit back more often. (Igor Kolyvanov)
The CSKA - Loko match has two possible scenarios - with and without the participation of the Berezutsky brothers. Do you remember the last time CSKA played at the same time without Vasya and Lesha? I think it was back in the days of Vladimir Kulik. I can not imagine CSKA without them. Brother Lesch against Loko just will not play, the participation of brother Vasya is in question. If one of them nevertheless appears on the field, then the clubs have equal chances to win. The most likely option would be a draw or victory of one of the clubs with a margin of one goal. Here it’s like someone is lucky. In the absence of brothers, Taranov or Grigoryev may appear at the base, but in this case, Loko will have additional chances to win. Not because young players are not ready to completely replace the Berezutsky, just CSKA is not used to playing like that. CSKA learned to win without Carvalho, Wagner, Jo, but the loss of two leading defenders could be fatal for them.? (Igor Shalimov)
Forecast: CSKA 40% - draw 20% - Lokomotiv 40%
Anton OTKIDACH, Roman TRUSHECHKIN, PROport
| No. 6 (73) March 26 - April 9, 2007 |
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