CSKA – Sochi

CSKA and Sochi will play it safe in the decisive bronze match

CSKA are set to face Sochi on Matchday 28 at home. This is a crucial match in terms of the battle for the bronze medals. Sochi are two points ahead. CSKA needs only victory. The Army Men are gradually becoming the biggest disappointment of the end of the season in the RPL. They completely screwed up the second half of the season. CSKA lost to Khimki and Akhmat, failed to beat Ural and Ufa, and, on top of that, crashed out of the Russian Cup. In March, CSKA were the best club in RPL after transferring quality internationals. The foreign players have dramatically declined. Some have health problems. Yazıcı, for example, is playing through pain. The South American players have no such problems, but the quality of their attacks has dropped drastically. CSKA in Grozny only had one shot on target. The club, even losing the lead, could not create chances. Sochi, on the other hand, continue to show the coaching genius of Vladimir Fedotov. In the last four meetings, the southerners have scored 13 goals. Most of them were scored against Rubin, 6-0, in Kazan. Sochi have a very modest squad, but their coaching is putting them on course for medals. The play of the southerners is much stronger than that of CSKA. Fedotov has a disciplined team. At CSKA right now almost everything depends on individual skill. A significant factor on the eve of the decisive match is the state of Igor Akinfeev. The goalkeeper can miss the game. Then, Vladislav Torop, a debutant, will take to the pitch. At the same time, it is not worth predicting a defeat for CSKA solely because of Akinfeev's absence. Bookmakers believe that the bronze medal winner will be determined in a spectacular match with a large number of goals. You can argue with that. CSKA have a clear trend towards low-scoring games at the moment. Against disciplined opponents, CSKA has had problems. They scored against Nizhny Novgorod, for example, only in the final minute. The caution factor is also important. Both teams understand that a draw is not a fatal result. Even for CSKA. The Army Men, for example, can count on Sochi losing points in the last round when they face Dynamo on the road. That is, there should be no unnecessary risk. Sochi can play defensively against the top clubs. In this case, the April encounter with Zenit, when the opponents finished without goals, is indicative.