Dynamo M – Spartak M

The Moscow derby should be an open one.

On Saturday, 13 September, Dynamo will play against Spartak. Both teams are significantly lower in the table than expected. However, there are more questions about the white-blues – the club has been terrible in all tournaments. Even at home bookmakers see Karpin's team as the underdog ahead of the derby. Dynamo has not produced a single quality game under Valeri Karpin. The exception was the match against Pari NN at home, but the opponent was too weak. In the other matches, it's been nothing but disappointment. Dynamo was completely crushed at home by CSKA – 1:3. In the away match against Krasnodar, they had zero shots on target. In the cup game against the 'bulls', they lost 0:4. Advanced statistics confirm – Dynamo is in big trouble: on average, they create one goal-scoring opportunity per game. Similar figures are found, for example, with Akhmat and Krylia Sovetov. This means that such a poor start for the club is not a coincidence. Another issue is the total number of injuries. The white-blues do indeed have difficulties with squad depth. Only now should Konstantin Tyukavin return, while they have lost key midfielder Luis Chavez for an extended period. Yaroslav Gladyshev also had an injury. Spartak has slightly revived in two matches – they earned six points, but their game against Sochi was of low quality. Only controversial penalties helped them. Spartak failed to score against the worst team in the RPL from open play – a cause for concern. The break turned out to be fruitful in terms of transfers: the red-whites signed two new central defenders, Christopher Wu and Alexander Djiku. Both were clearly signed for a three-man defensive setup. Dejan Stankovic is trying to build a new foundation. Now Spartak has one of the deepest squads in the RPL. Perhaps only Zenit has a greater selection of players. The issue ahead of the game with Dynamo is the condition of the national team players. Spartak's legionnaires have made long trips. Livai Garcia and Manfred Ugalde may return in a weakened state. Therefore, Anton Zabolotny is likely to start from the first minutes. An entertaining match between two struggling teams is expected. Everything points to goals. Spartak has a new scheme, and the defenders are only just integrating. Dynamo has conceded from everyone except Rostov and Pari NN. The team consistently concedes goals due to Karpin's idea of short corners. Dynamo is the most convenient opponent for Spartak among the Moscow giants. Last season they suffered a defeat, but the overall trend is in favour of the red-whites. In the previous nine matches, Spartak scored nine goals against their opponents – Dynamo's defence has almost never been a problem. It is logical to expect a win for the visitors, but not in a cautious style.