While Zenit are third in the league, one point behind CSKA Moscow in second place, Krasnodar are fourth, but just one point ahead of FC Rostov and Terek Grozny. Both teams are therefore forced to win if they want to achieve their season goals of qualifying respectively for the Champions League and the Europa League.
Luckily for Zenit, Krasnodar doesn’t travel to St. Petersburg in the best of shape. The Bulls haven’t won their last three games, and their fourth place is now in danger with both Terek and Rostov piling up victories.
Last week, Krasnodar were lucky to get 1-1 away against FC Ural in Ekaterinburg as they didn’t equalize until the 91st minute. Until Viktor Claesson scored the equalizer, it looked like they were about to go the third game in a row without scoring, and it is safe to say that their offence has looked poor recently.
While there is little doubt that striker, and RFPL top scorer Fedor Smolov, is one of the best players in the league, Krasnodar have become terribly dependent on him, and the fact that he alone has scored 43 percent of their league goals this season is certainly worrying. Especially, when considering that the 27-year-old Russian international could leave the club after this season.
Nevertheless, for now Smolov is the man to look after at Krasnodar. Playing as the lone striker, Smolov is a one-man-army in the truest sense, and he is about to be crowned league top scorer for the second season in a row. He is not only a clinical finisher, but also great on the ball and quick as lightening. No wonder he was recently called up for the Confederations Cup preliminary squad.
Two other Krasnodar players who received the wanted phone call from Stanislav Cherchesov are defender Roman Shishkin and midfielder Yury Gazinsky. Of these, the inclusion of Shishkin is the most surprising. The defender, who joined Krasnodar on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow this winter, has only started four games this season, and considering the fact that Zenit’s Igor Smolnikov and CSKA’s Mario Fernandes are also in the squad, Shishkin looks like the odd man out on the right back.
For Gazinsky the situation is different. Although he is one of the lesser known names on an otherwise prolific central Russian midfield, he is about to finish perhaps his best season as a Krasnodar player since joining them from Torpedo Moscow prior to the 2013/14 season. While always being a skilled defensive midfielder, capable of interrupting the opponent’s build-up play, he has added another dimension this season by being even better in the offensive part of the game. He proved this last week, by having the second to last foot on Krasnodar’s goal, when he beautifully set up Claesson for the equalizer.
For the game against Zenit, Krasnodar will have to do without goalkeeper Stanislav Kritsyuk, Shishkin and midfielders Tornike Okriashvili and Vyacheslav Podberezkin. On a positive note, they have Smolov back from suspension.
Thanks to Toke and the guys at russianfootballnews.com for this preview and those written for the club website throughout the season.
