Krasnodar boys have faced plenty of drama during this short summer break and the squad looks nothing like before. Their main man and captain Eduard Spertsyan has jetted off to Saudi side Al Ahli for a cool 22 million euros while several key foreign players have also packed their bags leaving big holes to fill. On top of that news from the World Cup shows striker John Cordoba picked up an injury that rules him out of the clash with Rostov and the first few rounds of the league. Coach Murad Musaev now has a real test on his hands because the already thin squad lacks the quality needed to push for the title.
Team Form
Rostov have been grinding in survival mode since Valery Karpin left with Spanish coach Jonathan Alba holding things together. The team got zero reinforcements in winter and this summer window has not brought much improvement either. In friendly matches Rostov failed to pick up any wins which is a bit worrying for the fans. On the other side Krasnodar managed two victories and banged in nine goals but those wins came against very weak sides so the real test against Rostov will be different.
- Krasnodar scored nine goals in two pre season friendlies
- Rostov recorded zero wins in their summer friendlies
- John Cordoba injury leaves Krasnodar short up front
- Rostov have shown they can frustrate bigger teams
Tactical Analysis
With a reduced squad Krasnodar will have to play a more cautious game against Rostov who love to sit deep and hit on the break. Alba side do not score much themselves but they have the know how to make life difficult for any strong opponent. The match could turn into a tight low scoring battle because both teams are dealing with their own issues and will likely play it safe especially early in the new season.
Betting Proposal
The types are strongly pointing to a cagey affair where goals will be hard to come by. Both sides are expected to struggle in front of goal so the smart play is on the total going under. Back total under 2.5 goals at odds of 2.10 as this looks the most likely outcome given the current form and squad situations.
