Rubin – Krasnodar

Don’t expect more than two goals to be scored in Kazan.

The central match of the first game day of the new Premier League season will take place in Kazan. The Rubin Kazan vs. Krasnodar rivalry has noticeably intensified in recent years. In last season, precisely in the capital of Tatarstan, the Bulls failed to collect the three points they needed to defend the championship title. In the very frosty March weather, Rubin's players proved to be quicker on the ball than Krasnodar's South American players, and they scored one goal more than their opponents. The Kazan side itself played the second half of the previous season at a much higher level than the first. The turning point was the coaching change during the winter break, when the post of 'steersman' was given to Frank Artiga. The Spaniard, during his tenure, suffered only two defeats in twelve matches, managing to beat not only Krasnodar, but also Lokomotiv, Dynamo Moscow and Baltika. In the off-season, Rubin's ranks were joined by Ignacio Saavedra, Ilya Samoshnikov, and Maxim Ignatyev. Rubin's departures included only players who did not have regular playing time, which allows the conclusion that in the summer and autumn of this year we will see no less strong Rubin, to which Artiga has accustomed us in the spring. Krasnodar, until May of last year, claimed two key Russian football trophies at once, but missed both. A fatal slip in the title race was the 29th round in the match with Dynamo Moscow, and without the coveted national cup the Bulls remained in the penalty shootout series with Spartak. Murad Musaev's team failed to preserve the entire core of the squad in the off-season. Real losses for the club were Viktor Sa and Eduard Spertsyan. In addition, from Krasnodar left Olakunle Olusegun, Giovanni Gonzalez, and Gustavo Santos, who for various reasons exhausted themselves in the Bulls' camp. In turn, Daniil Utkin and Dmitry Vorobyov returned home. Finally, Ilya Vakhaniya moved to Krasnodar. For squad depth, Magomed Ozdoev was signed without financial costs. The most expensive signing for Sergei Galitsky was Christian from Cruzeiro, for whom almost 10 million euros were paid. Most likely Musaev will need time for the Bulls to play harmoniously. In Kazan, one should hardly expect the visitors to dominate, and the hosts will focus on defensive football. Do not expect many goals here.