Akhmat – CSKA

Akhmat should not be considered a favourite

On Sunday, 4 May, Akhmat will play at home against CSKA. Both teams retain tournament motivation. The club from Grozny is struggling for survival and is still at risk of collapsing into the knockout stages. CSKA on the other hand, have broken into the top three for the first time in a long time. Akhmat had long been one of the best teams of the spring, but in the last few rounds they have slipped dramatically. Sergey Tashuyev's wards caught a series of three consecutive defeats: they were knocked out of the Cup by Lokomotiv, lost to Krasnodar and Pari NN. Now the team occupies only fourteenth place in the championship. In 26 meetings only four wins. Game progress is obvious, but in attack there is a clear decline. In seven meetings the club scored only five goals. At the same time, the selection of performers is very high quality: now Bernard Berisha and Daniil Zorin, for example, remain in the reserves. CSKA lost only four points in the spring in the RPL. It is the Army Men who are the best club of the spring in the championship. CSKA defeated Spartak in the Moscow derby on business. The game went according to Marko Nikolic's plan. The coach found an approach to the team, despite certain personnel problems. In particular, even Igor Diveev's absence didn't hinder. Newcomer Jamulutdin Abdulkadirov had a decent match, despite a mistake on the penalty kick. After his offence, Spartak scored one goal from the penalty spot. At the same time, there were minimal chances from play. CSKA can theoretically compete for first place. The Army Men are six points behind Krasnodar, but the rivals will have a face-to-face match ahead. In other words, the race is still not over. CSKA has almost no weaknesses right now. Nikolic can even afford to take star Abbosbek Faizullayev off the field. The Uzbek doesn't really fit the new scheme. But two strikers Saul Guarirapa and Sekou Koyta have opened up. Both are showing quality football in the spring. The downside for CSKA is a difficult calendar. The trip to Grozny will be after the game with Zenit in the Russian Cup and before the return game with St. Petersburg. That means the coach needs a certain rotation to solve problems. At the same time, sacrificing the championship is almost impossible - that's not why they beat Spartak. The bookmakers are surprising: the odds on CSKA are higher than on Akhmat. The issue of fatigue is important, but not that important. Akhmat still plays against top clubs as a clear second number with the expectation of a draw. Here the hosts will be happy with a peaceful outcome, and the initiative will go to CSKA. It is doubtful to consider the fourteenth team in the league as favourites against the third. Earlier, Akhmat stopped Spartak at home, but the hosts were very lucky. The 3.00 odds on CSKA are an anomalous situation for the line.