On August 13, the match of the 5th round of the Russian Premier League will take place, in which Zenit St. Petersburg will play at home with CSKA Moscow. The forecast for this match is given by the famous Match TV commentator Konstantin Genich.
Few expected that by this match it would be CSKA that would lead the RPL standings, but this is exactly the scenario that happened – the "army" with Spartak had 10 points scored, and Zenit had only 8 points so far.
Sergey Semak's team can't look stable at home and away yet. In two matches at home, the blue-white-blues smashed their rivals, but away they were content with only draws with Khimki and Akhmat. In addition, last weekend in Grozny, St. Petersburg lost two players – Odoevsky was removed, and Claudinho was injured. This creates problems for the head coach, but it cannot be said that they are critical, because Zenit has a huge clip – Kerzhakov will replace Odoevsky, and Mostovoy or Bakayev can replace the Brazilian. Or Semak will come up with some other options using tactical realignment.
Vladimir Fedotov is unlikely to change anything. His initial selection of the main squad for the season is working and the team is regularly gaining points. Except that in the third round there was an offensive draw away from Paris NN, where the Army men themselves rather lost points, missing a two-goal advantage. But now CSKA is gaining momentum – gradually new recruits are getting used to the team, and in general the team plays for fun. Do not forget that Fedotov, led by Sochi, managed to score 4 points in two matches with Zenit last season, so he knows how to play against the national champion.
Konstantin Genich believes that CSKA will not rush into the attack in St. Petersburg, realizing the danger from an opponent who knows how to play at high speed, and it is much more difficult to recoup in matches with Zenit than with the same "Torch". The expert is betting on a small number of goals scored, as both coaches will strive to compact the game in the center of the field. Also, the commentator does not believe in the defeat of Zenit, which is traditionally successful on its field.
