CSKA Moscow vs Rubin Kazan prediction
CSKA Moscow
Moscow's Army Men are gradually getting used to the gameplay style introduced by their new coach, Fabio Celestini. He's implementing a strategy focused on pressuring the opponents, maintaining constant possession, and playing with power. In the previous match, CSKA faced a test in St. Petersburg, drawing 1-1 with Zenit after taking the lead with Kislak's goal.
Yet, they let another goal slip through, and since Kelvin and William Rocha left, only Diveev and young Lukin form the new central defense pairing, which lacks experience working together. There are talks of bringing in Di Luciano for defense and Ruiz for the midfield. They've already loaned Verde from Argentina, though funds from Fayzullaev's transfer haven't been fully utilized.
The team is undergoing changes, but their defense remains a concern. Including the cup matches, CSKA has conceded in their last three games. Shumansky and Villagra are still out due to injuries and won't be available for this match.
Rubin Kazan
Rashid Rakhimov's Kazan Rubin has been more delightful to their fans this season, showing promising form. After three rounds, they haven't faced defeat and have accumulated 7 points following their 2-1 win over Sochi. A 2-2 draw at home with Zenit was the only instance of dropped points. When considering cup matches, Rubin has claimed victory in three out of four matches this season.
Against Sochi, Mirland Daku again proved his offensive prowess with a brace, asserting himself as a formidable force in the attack. Despite interest from top clubs, the Albanian remains with Rubin. Overall, the visitors' offensive gameplay is commendable - consistently netting two goals per match this season, and there's potential to maintain that trend against CSKA. Young rotation forward Kuznetsov will miss this match, but his absence isn't expected to impact the squad from Tatarstan significantly.
Prediction
In my view, the visitors' chances of scoring in this game look highly promising for several sound reasons:
Firstly, CSKA is adjusting their defensive lineup due to the departures of Kelvin and William Rocha, with reinforcements not yet established. Relying on relatively inexperienced younger players has shown vulnerabilities, as evidenced by their three consecutive games with conceded goals.
Secondly, Rubin's attack, powered by Daku, has shown impressive efficiency and potency at the season's start, creating opportunities aplenty, so they should have good chances to score.
Lastly, history shows Rubin often finds the net against the Moscow outfit—in last season's thrilling 2-2 draw at VEB Arena, they scored in all three recent league encounters against the red and blues, suggesting they might repeat that success now.
