CSKA – Krasnodar

CSKA should not be the favourite against the champion

On Sunday, August 31, CSKA will play against Krasnodar. This is the central match of the seventh round of the RPL and possibly the entire first half of the season. Both teams are currently among the top three title contenders, according to bookmakers. CSKA has not lost in the Russian league for a long time. Fabio Celestini has successfully taken over the team from Marko Nikolic. Surprisingly, the army team has not suffered any defeats in 2025. The streak continues after a setback against Rostov on November 23, 2025. Fabio Celestini has successfully transformed the squad to suit his needs. CSKA plays with a Russian core. Interestingly, even young central defender Matvey Lukin has integrated well. Winger Kirill Glebov is gradually becoming a star by RPL standards. In the match against Akron, the CSKA alumnus recorded two goal contributions. In attack, Mateus Alves has significantly added sharpness. The young Brazilian has quickly fit into the lineup, currently playing as a withdrawn striker. CSKA has found the right balance in attack – previously, they lacked finesse. Now the team is winning deservedly – there are plenty of chances. Looking at the xG table only Krasnodar is above CSKA. Murad Musaev's team has had its best start in Russian championships. The "Bulls" have won five out of six matches – a feat that was not achieved even last season when the start was quite poor. Eduard Spertsyans has not gone anywhere from Krasnodar. The lethal partnership with John Cordoba continues. The southern team's star attack demolished Krylia Sovetov – 6:0. Now the goal difference of the champions is frightening – 17:3. The team has scored almost five goals more than expected – one might expect a regression to the mean in the future. The southerners also have the best defence in the league: on average, the club allows less than one goal-scoring opportunity per match at their goal. Even by advanced metrics, Krasnodar is comfortably the best team in the league. The situation with Spertsyans adds optimism. There is no conflict with the management from the midfielder. The leader seems to be staying, at least until winter. A transfer to Southampton is ruled out. It's quite strange to see CSKA as the favourite. The long winless streak against Krasnodar speaks against them – they have not beaten the army team in the RPL since 2018. At the same time, the guests do not look weaker right now. The bench is likely even stronger for the southerners. Frenchman Gaetan Perrin has already joined the main squad and contributed to the victory over Krylia. It’s reasonable to expect a balanced match without an advantage for CSKA. One might also consider the potential for a high-scoring game: Fabio Celestini is indeed an attacking coach and plays boldly.