Spartak M – Krasnodar

The Russian champion won't lose in the capital.

April was initially considered the toughest month for Krasnodar in the current season. The calendar for this short period pitted half of the Premier League's strongest clubs against them as opponents, as well as the final ties of the Russian Cup's RPL path. To Krasnodar's already tight and heavy schedule, the long-standing problem of a limited squad was added. And, as fate would have it, the initially small rotation of the starting lineup was thinned out at the worst possible moment by injuries and suspensions. In the last round against Baltika, Musaev, not out of necessity, made only three substitutions from five, and up until the final whistle he endured Alexander Chernikov's yellow card, received in the first half. If it had been possible to replace Alexander, the champion's coach would have done so at halftime. Against Spartak, Musaev will not be able to count on Sergei Petrov, Douglas Augusto, Viktor Sa, as well as several fringe players. Spartak, during the winter break, appointed Juan Carcedo as head coach, who in the first half of the season led Cypriot Pafos to the Champions League. In the early matches under the Spaniard's leadership, the red-and-whites were quite unsettled, but now a team is beginning to take shape within the capital club. In a broad sense of this word. Bookmakers have named the home team favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 2.30 for their victory. The main motivation for Spartak for the remaining period of the season is the Russian Cup, where the Moscow club is a step away from the Super Final. At the same time, two weeks remain before the crucial clash with CSKA, and Krasnodar acts as a serious irritant for the red-and-whites. Of the key players, Spartak will not be able to rely on Christopher Wu, suspended for yellow-card accumulation. This will somewhat weaken an already problematic defensive line of Spartak. The last time the center of defense was formed without Wu, the red-and-whites conceded five goals to Moscow's Dynamo. The main advantage for Krasnodar in the away match against a serious opponent could be the team's character. Time and again it is this character that has saved the Bulls from defeats. This was the case against Zenit and Baltika in the last rounds of the championship. The visitors are unlikely to yield in Moscow, despite the missteps in the last match and personnel difficulties.