Spartak Kostroma and Yenisey Krasnoyarsk have both kicked off the season with strong vibes, sitting pretty in the top group after three matches. The lads from Kostroma picked up seven points, beating Kamaz three one and Sochi two one, while grabbing a draw away at Textile maker from Ivanovo. All five goals came from that sharp shooter Amur Kalmykov, and even with home ground repairs forcing some games elsewhere, they rarely leave empty handed in front of their fans.
Team Form
- Spartak remain unbeaten with hot scoring form from Kalmykov
- Yenisey grabbed six points but struggled badly on the road against top sides
- Both sides show real confidence to push for more wins this campaign
Over in the Siberian camp Yenisey also look lively after wins over Volga Ulyanovsk and Veles Moscow, though that heavy loss to Ural showed their away troubles against big teams. Under coach Sergei Tashuev they tend to bang in at least two goals when they win, yet trips to places like Torpedo and Fakel ended goalless last spring too.
Tactical Analysis
- Spartak strong at home with solid attack and few blanks in recent home games
- Yenisey powerful in attack but weak defensively on travels
- Kalmykov remains the key man who can decide tight games
The Kostroma boys have that dream of reaching the Russian Premier League after a near miss in the top four last season, and this fresh start with no losses puts them in good shape. If they play to their strengths at home against a tough Yenisey side they should come out on top, especially with the crowd behind them and Kalmykov in red hot form.
Betting Proposal
Looking at the numbers and recent trends this clash points toward a home win for Spartak who have the edge in motivation and scoring punch right now. Yenisey will fight but their away record against strong sides leaves room for doubt in this one.
Spartak to win at home with odds of 1.97
