Russian Premier League: Matchday 4 Preview
I preview another intriguing weekend in the RPL...
Fixtures Match Day Four (GMT)
April 10
15:00 Kryliya Sovetov (Samara) - FC Khimki
April 11
11:00 FC Moscow - Spartak Moscow
11:45 Terek Grozny - Rubin Kazan
14:00 Dinamo Moscow - Rostov –Na –Donu16:15
Kuban Krasnodar - Tom Tomsk
April 12
11:00 CSKA Moscow - Lokomotiv Moscow
13:30 Zenit St Petersburg - Amkar Perm
16:00 Spartak Nalchik - Saturn Moscow
Friday
Kryliya Sovetov (Samara) - FC Khimki
Kryliya Sovetov finished sixth in the RPL last season. The team from Samara suffered their first loss of the season to Lokomotiv Moscow last week.
The previous RPL season saw FC Khimki finish in 14th place. Last week’s loss at home to FC Rostov has the team languishing in 15th place.
Kryliya Sovetov sit third on the ladder and are the favourites for this game.
FORM GUIDE
Kryliya Sovetov (Samara) - WWL
FC Khimki - DLL
Saturday
FC Moscow - Spartak Moscow
With six teams from Moscow playing in the RPL it’s easy to get them all confused. FC Moscow have not had a good start to the season so far. They finished in ninth place last season; currently they sit in 14th place after two draws and a loss. Last week’s result saw them draw away to champions Rubin Kazan.
Spartak Moscow won their first game of the season last week against Spartak Nalchik; their two Brazilian strikers Alex and Wellington helping them to 2-0 win.
FORM GUIDE
FC Moscow - LDD
Spartak Moscow - DLW
Terek Grozny - Rubin Kazan
Last season’s tenth place finisher, Terek Grozny, sit at the top of the RPL on equal points with Zenit St Petersburg.
A very happy home crowd of 14,000 saw captain Timur Dzhabrailov collect the points for the home side in the 13th minute last round against Dinamo Moscow.
Rubin Kazan endured a frustrating time last week missing a host of chances against FC Moscow.
The game ended 0-0, the second consecutive game Kazan had been involved in that score line. Top scorer in the RPL with two goals Alexander Bukharov will be hoping to redeem himself this week against the surprise packets from Chechnya.
FORM GUIDE
Terek Grozny - WDW
Rubin Kazan -WDD
Dinamo Moscow V FC Rostov
Dinamo were riding high with two wins from their opening two games; that was until they met Terek Grozny who epitmoised the motto “power in motion” in infilciting on them their first defeat of the season.
The team who were promoted to the RPL this season, FC Rostov, had a good away win last week against FC Khimki.
The odds are with Dinamo Moscow getting a win this round, however.Joint top scorer in the RPL Alexander Kerzakhov of Dinamo Moscow will be looking to add to his tally of two goals.
FORM GUIDED
Dinamo Moscow - WWL
Rostov - DDW
FC Kuban Krasnodar - FC Tom Tomsk
Kuban Krasnodar was promoted to the RPL this season. Mali striker, Draman Traore, also sits on top of the goals scorer charts with two goals so far for his side.
Tom Tomsk were thrashed by Zenit St Petersburg last week while Kuban lost to Saturn Moscow.
FORM GUIDE
FC Kuban Krasnodar - LWL
Tom Tomsk - LWL
Sunday
CSKA Moscow - Lokomotiv Moscow
Last season’s runners up, CSKA Moscow, drew away at unfancied FK Amkar Perm' last week.
Brazilian Zico has the team sitting in mid table with four points amassed and a position of eighth. Russian international defender Sergei Ignashevich is joint top scorer in the RPL with two goals.
Lokomotiv Moscow enjoyed a 2-1 win against Kryliya Sovetov last round. Midfielder Dennis Glushakov, 22, has two goals so far this season for Lokomotiv.
This should be an enthralling contest between these old city rivals.
FORM GUIDE
CSKA Moscow - WLD
Lokomotiv Moscow - DDW
Zenit St Petersburg - Amkar Perm
Zenit St Petersburg enjoyed a 3-0 away win against FK Tom' Tomsk last week.
Zenit have a squad full of international players and are coached by Dutchman Dick Advocaat, they currently sit atop of the RPL with two wins and a draw from their first three games.31 year-old Turkish international, Fatih Tekke, has two goals for Zenit this season.
Amkar Perm finished fourth in the RPL last season earning a spot in next season’s Europa League.This campaign they are struggling with only two points earned so far; the positive for this match is they kept CSKA Moscow to a 0-0 draw at home last week.
Zenit should be too strong at home; however the weather in Russia can be a great leveller.
FORM GUIDE
Zenit St Petersburg - DWW
Amkar Perm - DLD
Spartak Nalchik - Saturn Moscow
Spartak Nalchik ended up on the losing side after Spartak Moscow beat them at home 2-0 last week.
The result of that the game has given the team from Nalchick, in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, the inglorious task of holding up the RPL ladder as they sit on one point and have yet to score a goal so far this season.
As for Saturn, last week, the Aliens gave the humans of Kuban Krasnodar a football lesson, beating them 2-1 at home.
32-year-old Dmitri Kirichenko got both goals for the men from outer space.
Will the Aliens hover around Spartak Nlachick’s altitude long enough to beat them?
The truth is always stranger than fiction.
FORM GUIDE
Spartak Nalchik - LDL
The Aliens - LLW
Con Stamocostas, Goal.com
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