CSKA – Akron

CSKA will not win by a large margin

On Sunday, August 24, CSKA will play against Akron at home. The army team surprises the sceptics – they are in the race for the championship title. Akron disappointed in the last round against Orenburg, but overall they have started the season respectably. CSKA is currently considered the favourite in the championship race according to the supercomputer Opta. At the same time, before the season started, the club was ranked only fourth or fifth – on par with Dynamo. The army team immediately amazed everyone with their successful transition from Marco Nikolich's ideas to Fabio Celestini's thoughts. The Swiss specialist presented a bold model with three central defenders. Now there is more freedom on the flanks. Daniil Krugovoy has literally become an attacking star. His crosses are a threat even to top clubs. The formal defender has already recorded four assists. Another key element is Kirill Glebov. The young winger adds speed to the army team during transitions. Glebov currently lacks consistency, especially in the final stage, but in the match against Rubin, it was Kirill who made the game. A traditional hero is Igor Akinfeev. The veteran is having his best season in a long time, leading in saved shot percentage. Surprisingly, CSKA has not been negatively affected by the loss of Willian Rocha. The young Matvei Lukin has stepped up in a very respectable manner. Now a direct replacement for Rocha is also coming – newcomer Joao Victor. The hefty Brazilian will increase competition in defence. Akron is holding in the mid-table but has only won once in five matches. It is currently difficult to assess the prospects of this inconsistent team. Their performance against Orenburg somewhat distorted the picture. This was one of the main shocks of the Russian championship according to the bookmakers' odds. Akron lost to an obvious outsider. Orenburg managed to contain Dzyuba. This season, Akron's head coach Zaur Tedeev is actively trusting the youth. Dmitry Pestryakov and Maxim Boldyrev start alongside Dzyuba. The players do not always meet the level of play, although they sometimes deliver very high-quality segments. Greater expectations are also placed on the Balkan legionnaires in midfield. Lonchar, Jakovac, and Djurasevic form a trio capable of helping Akron cling to seventh place. For now, there is no feeling that the club will avoid a relegation battle. The odds on CSKA have already dropped to 1.47. This is excessive on the part of the bookmakers. There is not such a big difference in class between the two rivals. Akron has previously performed respectably against Spartak. After all, the Tolyatti team defeated CSKA in a recent cup match in a penalty shootout, although the teams on the field were by no means their main squads. It is doubtful that CSKA will easily demolish a strong mid-table team. Options with a positive handicap can certainly be considered.