What: Russian Premier League
Who: CSKA Moscow vs Zenit St. Petersburg
When: Saturday 3rd March, 2012, at 12:00 UK Time
Where: Arena Khimki, Moscow, Russia
Catch Up Time
This is a historic season in Russian football; the league calendar is being turned on its head. This game marks the biggest clash of the second phase of the Russian campaign, as the league resumes following the winter break. After the 30th match of the season, the top flight was split in two, with the top eight battling for the title, and the bottom eight against relegation. Games 31 and 32 took place in November before winter set in and the league took a three month pause. And after it concludes this spring, Russian football will switch to the more common autumn–spring cycle.
CSKA Moscow come into this game looking to gain ground on Zenit, sitting six points behind their rivals from St. Petersburg following a poor start to the second phase of the season. But the former UEFA Cup winners will have to do so with a weakened team. Keisuke Honda missed Japan’s World Cup qualifier with Uzbekistan in the week and is a doubt, while goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev is still not back from a bad injury sustained against Spartak Moscow last autumn. The international break has hit the Army Men hard too. Seydou Doumbia has been in Africa playing for the Ivory Coast against Guinea and Sekou Oliseh was helping Liberia to beat Namibia.
The capital club will be encouraged by their performance in the first leg of the Round of 16 Champions League tie with Real Madrid recently, with a late equaliser meaning they were the first team to prevent the Spaniards from winning in the competition this season. And CSKA’s victory in Milan earlier this campaign against Inter in the decisive group match showed they can rise to the occasion. Coach Leonid Slutskiy has a fluid team whose defensive rocks Vasily Berezutsky and Sergei Ignashevich will make life tough for their opponents, but the question will be if they have enough going forward to trouble Luciano Spalletti’s men.
Arshavin Returns to St. Petersburg
Zenit St. Petersburg come into the championship phase of the season buoyed by the return of Andrei Arshavin to the squad after a three-year spell in London with Arsenal. What will be interesting to see is how Arshavin adapts to a new environment from the one he left, where he was one of the influential local players with significant power at Zenit. Now that Luciano Spalletti has taken control of the club and imposed his will and structure on the squad, whether Arshavin is the same player as before is an open question mark.
Either way, Zenit will hope to pick up where they left off before the break last year, having gone nine games unbeaten in the league. The reigning champions seemed back on track quite quickly when beating Benfica 3-2 as the Champions League returned last month, and sitting six points clear of their opponents, will be confident going into the clash. Spalletti’s side were perhaps not as badly affected as CSKA by the international break, but they still had six players in Denmark with Russian national team, Nicolas Loembarts in Greece for Belgium and Domenico Criscito in Italy playing the United States.
Spalletti has pledged to field a strong team, including Arshavin, despite the return with Benfica next week. “The best 11 players I have available will play against CSKA, because at this time, from where I’m standing, it is the most important game for us”, said the Italian.
“Yesterday he (Arshavin) played 90 minutes for the national side. His match fitness may not be perfect, but it is definitely fine and good.”
Recent form
CSKA Moscow:
CSKA Moscow 1-1 Real Madrid (21/02; Champions League)
Inter Milan 1-2 CSKA Moscow (07/12; Champions League)
Anzhi Makhachkala 2-1 CSKA Moscow (27/11; Russian Premier League)
Zenit St. Petersburg:
Zenit St. Petersburg 3-2 Benfica (15/02; Champions League)
Porto 0-0 Zenit St. Petersburg (06/12; Champions League)
Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 Lokomotiv Moscow (27/11; Russian Premier League)
Key absences
CSKA Moscow: Keisuke Honda (doubt); Igor Akinfeev
Zenit St. Petersburg: Vyacheslav Malafeev (doubt); Danny
Players to watch
CSKA Moscow – Alan Dzagoev: One of the brightest talents in Russian football, the creative Dzagoev is the man who can unlock the Zenit defence. But in a CSKA team who often play 4-4-1-1, he will be required to drop into midfield to help Pavel Mamaev and Evgeny Aldonin if Slutsky’s side are to contend with the talented central midfield trio of Zenit. With Doumbia just returning from international duty in Africa, as is Oliseh, and with Honda hoping to recover from injury, Dzagoev’s influence will be ever more crucial.
Zenit St. Petersburg – Andrei Arshavin: In Danny’s long term absence, Arshavin will be the main creative force. He may feel uneasy at playing in the same position he did at Arsenal, but Arshavin will be given the license to roam that Portuguese playmaker Danny would usually enjoy for Spalletti’s side. The forward will be boosted by scoring his first goal for Russia in two years against Denmark in the week, as well as setting up another for new Zenit team-mate Roman Shirokov. A ‘new’ start, albeit at his old team, could be just what Arshavin has needed to find his best form.
Match Prediction
These two teams have already met in the league at the Arena Khimki this season, with Zenit winning 2-0. On that occasion CSKA came forward in search of goals and Zenit were happy to let them do so, striking on the counter attack with Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Aleksandr Anyukov. With points increasingly vital as the season comes towards its concluding sprint, Zenit are likely to want to replicate their early season success. Holding back with a tight defence, they have a balanced midfield with defensive solidity and will hope to break quickly with Arshavin and Victor Fayzulin cutting inside and giving Anyukov and Domenico Criscito space out wide.
For the home team, it will be interesting to see if Mamaev and Aldonin are able to stem the Zenit threat and control midfield. The key will be getting Dzagoev on the ball in a system which gives CSKA defensive structure. Expect a cagey game to be won by one of the brilliant playmakers on the field. CSKA Moscow 0-1 Zenit St. Petersburg.
This Russian Premier League match could be very important. But who is do you think will win in this CSKA Moscow v Zenit St. Petersburg clash? Make sure you visit OLBG for tips and to compare the current odds and betting markets available at all the important bookmakers.
