Rostov – CSKA

CSKA should take the trophy with reserves

On Sunday, 1 June, Rostov will play against CSKA in the Russian Cup Super Final. The Army men are rightly the favourites for the match. The state of Rostov is a mystery. The team is surrounded by rumours of an uncertain future. CSKA is the best club during the spring stretch. Marko Nikolic has managed to rebuild the team with a new scheme. Almost all performers have blossomed with the exception of Abbosbek Faizullayev. The Army Men have not lost a single game in the Russian league. The team has lost only six points in ten rounds. The club has a great history in the Russian Cup. CSKA knocked out Zenit, losing the first match 0-2. Now the Army Men have order in all lines. Their success is no accident. At the same time, there is clearly a certain influence of luck. By advanced numbers, CSKA is not doing so well: the Army Men have conceded four goals less than expected and scored three more. The forwards have a very high percentage of goal realisation. They compensated for the failure in the first part of the championship. A disturbing plot is unfolding around Rostov. Radical changes in the club's management are almost confirmed. Rostov's top officials will leave, and the coach is likely to be replaced as well. Jonathan Alba has had a successful stretch and organised his first final in 10 years, but that's not enough to keep his job. There are a lot of worrying rumours regarding the players. All the leaders are expected to leave the club. Osipenko, Komlichenko, Shchetinin, Vahania and Siljanov have already been linked with top RPL teams. The big question is whether the coach will be able to get the players in the mood for the last match. After all, Rostov will never take to the pitch with such a squad again. The southerners have previously surprised the bookmakers. In the semi-finals the Paths of the Regions were outsiders paired with Lokomotiv, but won in Moscow. In the final they knocked out Spartak at all, although analysts gave about 30 per cent odds on passage. Rostov were the main outsiders in the tournament since there were six teams left. The odds on CSKA are likely to drop further. The Army men look like a confident team. Marko Nikolic is in complete control, has a deep squad, and the players are hungry for wins. The match will also be played in Moscow, which is a big advantage for CSKA. There are no injuries to the leaders. Everything speaks in favour of the favourite. Rostov, after the match with Spartak, played in the main squad against Dinamo Makhachkala. The team showed desire and even took points away from the motivated favourite. The visitors are likely to rally, but to win the third match in Moscow under the order on the background of such news is a difficult mission. CSKA will definitely have a big advantage on the game.