Rostov – Krasnodar

Krasnodar should not be considered an underdog

On Friday, 8 March, Rostov will play at home against Krasnodar in an emotional southern derby. The leader of the Russian championship is in a difficult personnel situation. Rostov, on the contrary, have seriously strengthened in winter and are gradually moving away from the fight for survival. Valery Karpin's team beat Krylia Sovetov in a very confident style. The newcomers helped a lot. Now the club has an excellent bunch of centre-backs in the form of Sako and Osipenko. In addition, Ronaldo has fit well into the attack. The Brazilian even scored a goal. Karpin got an opportunity for some rotation of the squad. In terms of the quality of play now Rostov does not look like an outsider. There are no problems with injuries either. Nikolay Komlichenko missed the first meeting, but the striker was successfully replaced by Golenkov. At the current moment Rostov looks like a club at the peak of its form. The team has never been so strong in the current season. But the state of Krasnodar raises questions. The RPL leader in the first round after the break failed to beat Rubin on their field. The team faced an organised defence, which was difficult to crack without the disqualified Cordoba. The club's leader will return to the field in the match against Rostov. He has served three games of punishment. This significantly increases the attacking potential of the RPL leader, as newcomer Victor Sa is still just getting used to the realities of the new league. Krasnodar don't have a deep bench, which is a big disadvantage. In this regard, the coach was forced to release Kobnan, a striker without a single productive action. The newcomer Kevin Castagno is not playing yet. The supporting midfielder sat in the reserves. The Bulls have no questions about the defence. Now this line looks optimal for the leader. The defenders, led by Safonov, fail very rarely. The goalkeeper is the best in the league in terms of advanced statistics at his position. Matches between Krasnodar and Rostov usually turn out to be very emotional. In the first round, Valeri Karpin's wards were close to a big sensation: the club won by two goals away, but conceded the decisive goal in one of the last attacks. In most cases, the rivals play attacking football. Betting on goal exchanges has taken place in five of the last six matches. Bookmakers give a slight favourite Rostov. This arrangement does not look fair. Krasnodar are the season leaders with a lot of motivation. Cordoba's return is a significant plus. The teams this time can surprise and play cautiously. The visitors have one of the best defences in the league. Rostov will not take risks and meet the opponent high. A draw looks like a good outcome for each team.