The sacking of the head coach has clearly lit a fire under Akron and they responded with a solid display away from home to grab a two nil win that puts them in a strong position heading into this return leg. The boys showed real character and quality when it mattered most especially with key men stepping up after some injury worries earlier in the campaign. Now back on familiar turf the team will look to close out the tie without any drama and send their fans home happy after what has been a tough season overall in the top flight.
Team Form
Coming into this clash Akron have found some momentum at just the right time after struggling for most of the spring period where they were among the weakest sides in the division. Rotor on the other hand have been impressive in their own league but have not shown enough cutting edge in attack during recent outings especially when playing in front of their own supporters.
- Akron picked up a comfortable away victory in the first leg with two well taken goals and kept a clean sheet
- The visitors have struggled to create clear chances on the road and may need to take risks here to overturn the deficit
- Key forward Artem Dzyuba managed a full ninety minutes and looked sharp while Gilson Benshimol grabbed a brace in the opening game
- Rotor enjoyed a good run in the second tier but face a big step up against more experienced opponents
Tactical Analysis
Tactically the home side should stick to what worked in the first meeting by staying compact at the back and using their pace on the counter to punish any over commitment from Rotor. The visitors will have to push men forward and leave gaps which could play into the hands of Akron forwards who are in good nick. Experience from past playoff ties like the win over Ural two seasons ago gives the home team an edge in knowing how to manage these high pressure situations without panicking.
Overall the gap in quality was clear in the opening game and unless Akron suffer some kind of collective lapse they should control proceedings and avoid any major scares at home.
Betting Proposal
With the two goal advantage from the first leg and better resources in attack the smart money is on the hosts to get the job done without fuss. My types for this one is a comfortable home win and I see real value in backing Akron to win at the offered odds. Akron win at 1.85
