Krasnodar – Baltika

The national champion will beat the audacious Baltika in front of his fans

Krasnodar endured the toughest showdown of the latest round of the Russian Championship. In the Premier League's second-round centerpiece in Saint Petersburg, the Bulls played on equal terms with the runner-up of the country. Already at 1-1 in the second half, Musaev's charges found themselves a man up and could have snatched the win, but even such an outcome gave him a psychological edge over his rival. Now Zenit has no option to take three points against Krasnodar at Krasnodar's home ground. Moreover, the blue-and-white-blue were keen to beat their direct rival right after being eliminated from the Russian Cup after a penalty shootout with Spartak Moscow. Videos from Krasnodar's training sessions attest to an excellent mood in the defending champions' camp. The mood in Baltika's ranks leaves much to be desired. Gradually in Kaliningrad the magic of Andrey Talalaev is fading, he is currently suspended and recently underwent surgery. The club, which in autumn became the bogeyman of all top Premier League clubs, in spring cannot even beat the division's outsiders. Bookmakers have named the home side favorites for the upcoming match, and the odds on their victory fell from 1.75 to 1.53. Despite the losses of suspended Kevin Lenini and the injured Viktor Sa, the personnel situation at Krasnodar should be deemed stable. The African legionary can be replaced by Alexander Chernikov, who has completed his suspension, and Musaev can appoint Giovanni Gonzalez to replace the Brazilian winger, as in Grozny, or Nikita Krivtsov, as in Saint Petersburg. Problems in Baltika's camp appear more serious. In a match against Pari NN, the Kaliningrad club lost Bryan Hill, Eldar Chivich, and Tenton Yenne. On one hand, Baltika's unbeaten run has reached five matches. On the other hand, during this period Talalaev's team faced only one opponent from the top of the standings. And two wins in five rounds for the ambitious collective look like an insufficient result. And four conceded goals from Dynamo Makhachkala and Pari NN in the last two rounds also resemble a systemic breakdown. Krasnodar will win in front of their packed stadium.