Torpedo M – Rostov

Torpedo will be satisfied with a goalless draw against Rostov

Torpedo take on Rostov on Monday, September 5. "The Black and Whites have failed to make a good start to the season. The team has already changed the coach, the management, bought several new players, but still no wins. In seven rounds the Muscovites have managed to pick up just one point. Betting on proven veterans has not paid off. Lebedenko, Ryazantsev and other older players proved unready to return to a high level. Now the new management, led by Ilya Gercus, is trying to renew the team. A relatively big-name newcomer, France's Le Tallec, has joined the club. The footballer will be a systematic player in the centre of the pitch. So far, the change of coach has not brought any benefits. The departure of Aleksandr Borodiuk has certainly not resulted in any improvement. Torpedo lost three matches with a total score of 1-8. The only hope was the cup encounter with CSKA. The Army team fielded a clear reserve, but even Adolfo Gaich scored for Torpedo. It was the Argentine's first goal in two years in Russia. Torpedo again had almost no real chances from the game, apart from a few long-range strikes. For Rostov, we should expect a special attitude. The Cup is a secondary tournament, and the RPL can still be saved, given that the bottom-of-the-table rivals are not far behind. Rostov, on the other hand, have made the best start in their Russian history. Valeriy Karpin's team, along with Zenit and Dynamo, are without defeat. The coach has built an ideal scheme for the Southerners with three strikers, with Utkin and Komlichenko playing key roles. Otherwise, the emphasis is also on a relatively sturdy defence. Rostov managed to held CSKA back in the league game. Then, with the support of the stands, they dealt with Dynamo in the domestic cup. Rostov were lucky in many games, Karpin himself does not hide it. CSKA objectively had more chances; against Sochi, Rostov lost by a margin of two goals, against Nizhny Novgorod, the opponent's goalkeeper made two resulting errors. Given the lack of serious attacking potential, Torpedo are certain to give the ball to their opponents. A 0-0 draw will also satisfy the Muscovites in the current situation. The main thing is to break the black streak of defeats. After a busy schedule, it will be difficult for Rostov to take apart a busy away defence. Not a very productive match is in sight. Earlier, Rostov scored only one goal against Khimki. In the game with Orenburg, all three goals came from penalties. Against shutdown opponents, the Southerners cannot always use their trump cards. Rostov, even if they score, will not be looking for happiness in attack. Karpin's team are also content with minimal success.