Sochi – Khimki

Khimki will try to close down as much as possible on defence against Sochi

Sochi will host Khimki on Friday 26 August. This is the first match of the seventh round of the RPL. The Southerners are still getting used to the new coach Vadim Garanin. The trial period is going well. The club only lost to the giants - CSKA and Spartak, and that in away games. At the moment the southerners are in the leading group, only four points behind first place. The club is weaker in terms of the selection of players, but the overall structure remains the same. Without Cassierra, it is harder to convert chances into goals. That said, Noboa continues to be very effective. He is aided by another midfielder, Yusupov. Last round saw Sochi put in a largely unique performance against Rostov. Garanin's charges were confidently leading 2-0, but failed in the closing stages. In the final minute, the opponents failed to convert the penalty. Prior to that, goalkeeper Adamov also saved an eleven-metre shot. The dramatic match brought Sochi to a draw. Rumours of Noboa's imminent departure are not in the club's favour. This loss could already be fatal for Sochi. There are certain doubts that the Ecuadorian will take to the field. The press are already talking about an agreement with CSKA. There are questions about Noboa's status in the upcoming match. Khimki are in the midst of a full-blown crisis. It's not too clear where the Moscow Region team is headed. The unexpected and inexplicable departure of the coaching staff, headed by Sergey Yuran, created global problems. Khimki, with their new coach Nikolai Pisarev, conceded six goals in two games. The quality of play dropped to a very low level. The players clearly didn't accept their new coach. The only hope for the attacking team was Resiuan Mirzov's individual skill set. Khimki officials are openly saying that their coach may retire soon. Such actions also don't exactly add to their confidence in the club's future. Curiously, both teams have a winning streak. Sochi, in fact, have played six consecutive games on the road. The club is the only one in the RPL without an away game. There is a high probability that the series will be broken against Khimki. The visitors are coming into this difficult trip with the clear goal of clinching a zero draw. Khimki play with three central defenders, just like their opponent. At the same time, Sochi will press and have total superiority in possession. Given the Southerners' roster problems, it's logical to expect some stiff positional play from the home team. Khimki will try to dry the game out. A draw would be a very positive outcome for the visitors. Last season, the opponents scored only three goals in two games. Out of the last six games, only one was a "total over".