Rubin Kazan’ vs Lokomotiv Moscow
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Today looks very bleak betting-wise so be careful! My secondary featured game is the Russian Premier League encounter in Kazan’ between Rubin and Lokomotiv Moscow. The hosts have failed to impress thus far this season whereas their opponents have so we may be in line for a surprise result here.
Rubin simply don’t do anything for me at the moment, to be horribly blunt. They desperately need a good target man and they also really need some creativity in their ranks. Defensively, they’re still a strong unit with plenty of experience so there’s no problems there. However, no Carlos Eduardo in midfield leaves them relying heavily on Noboa and especially Karadeniz. Both can be very good on their respective days but neither are good enough to physically carry the team, in my view, whereas someone like Carlos Eduardo really can be. Subsequently, Rubin play very predictable football and don’t score many goals. Just look at their strikers, too – a real nightmare! Ex-Sibir striker Medvedev, ex-Rostov-na-Donu target man Lebedev, and youngster Dyadun. There’s a good reason why you’re not afraid of those strikers and it’s because none of them rank anywhere near above “average” at the most complimentary of descriptions. I think Rubin have been beyond fortunate this season to have four very easy games at home or else I think they’d have suffered a heavy confidence blow from not getting enough points which could potentially have derailed their whole season. Even though they’ve faced some dire sides at home, Rubin still haven’t flattered and have even failed to capitalise in some games. For example, consider that they’ve hosted relegation-bound Spartak Nal’chik and drawn 0-0 and that they’ve hosted traditionally poor away side Amkar’ Perm, who are always in the relegation battle, and drawn 1-1. They’ve beaten a poor Terek Grozny side 2-0 at home despite being outplayed by their opponents and they meandered their way past an FK Krasnodar side (2-1) that bought their way into the division this season following Saturn Moscow Oblast’s collapse. It’s not impressive, is it? They’re not playing well and that has to come back to haunt them at somepoint.
So why not against Lokomotiv Moscow today? I’ve been a big critic of Lokomotiv Moscow away from home for the past few years because even under Semin and with Aliev in their team – they still struggled. However, I may have to eat those words as they appointed arising boss Krasnozhan as their new manager and he’s really turned this side into title contenders, in my view. I’d always argue the point that they don’t have as many match-winners as the likes of Zenit St.Petersburg or Spartak Moscow, for example. However, what Krasnozhan gives his teams is a real sense of team spirit and motivation. Krasnozhan’s teams play as one rather than awaiting brilliance from individuals and he’s genuinely one of the best in Russia at generating this managerial style, in my view. Under his stewardship, Lokomotiv took a few games to get going but just look at their most recent run; unbeaten in five consecutive games! They’ve won four of those games, including a 1-1 draw at reigning champions Zenit St.Petersburg, and annihlated Terek Grozny 4-0 in their last game so their momentum is strong here.
Lokomotiv don’t have “stars” as I mentioned earlier. However, they do have players that really slot into Krasnozhan’s plans very well indeed ala Sychev, Torbinskiy, and Ibricic, not to mention legend Los’kov. All of these players are real hard workers and it becomes contagious to the rest of the team – you can see it in their games. That’s what has made Lokomotiv so hard to play against this season and given that their title rivals are all floundering at the moment, I really don’t see why Lokomotiv can’t compete for the title this season.
That point aside, however, I do fancy them to win this one today. It’s a risky call, of course – Rubin can be impregnable on their own turf at times with their iron defence. However, Lokomotiv have won here in the past (the most recent occasion was in 2008) and they’re really playing with great enthusiasm and a terrific goal return at the moment so why not again today? Rubin aren’t impressing me at all and with draw no bet as cover, I think Lokomotiv are worth a punt at 3/2 today.
Verdict: Lokomotiv Moscow to win with draw no bet at 3/2.
Friday’s Picks
Accumulator fodder:
Shamrock Rovers
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
Argentinian Primera Division:
Newells Old Boys vs All Boys (5) 1-2
Banfield vs Godoy Cruz de Mendoza (5) 1-2
Austrian Liga 1:
Admira Wacker vs Austria Lustenau (7) over 2.5 goals
Hartberg vs First Vienna (5)
Gratkorn vs Grodig (4)
St.Polten vs WAC/St.Andra (6)
Lustenau vs SCR Altach (5)
Danish Superligaen:
Silkeborg vs Aalborg BK (4) 0-1
Lyngby vs Brondby (5) 2-2
Danish 1st Division:
Roskilde vs Hvidovre (4)
Vestjaelland vs Kolding (5)
AGF Aarhus vs Naestved (7)
Fredericia vs Bronshoj (6)
Hjorring vs Fyn (5)
English League Two:
Shrewsbury Town vs Torquay United (7)
Accrington Stanley vs Stevenage (6)
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
TPS Turku vs JJK Jyvaskyla (6) 1-1
French Ligue 2:
AC Ajaccio vs Istres (7)
Chateauroux vs Sedan-Ardennes (5)
Dijon FCO vs Boulogne (6)
Grenoble Foot vs Clermont Foot (5)
Metz vs Nimes (7)
Nantes vs Le Havre (6)
Reims vs Evian Thonon Gaillard (6)
Tours vs Angers SCO (4)
Troyes vs Stade Lavallois (5)
Vannes OC vs Le Mans (4)
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Vasas Budapest vs Kecskemeti TE (6) 2-1
Irish Premier League:
Bohemians vs St.Patrick’s Athletic (5) 0-0, at least one red card in this game
Derry City vs Bray Wanderers (7) 2-1
UCD vs Dundalk (5) 0-1
Shamrock Rovers vs Drogheda United (8) 2-0
Italian Serie B:
Empoli vs Torino (7)
Japanese J-League:
Cerezo Osaka vs Kawasaki Frontale (6) 1-1
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow vs Zaglebie Lubin (5) 1-1
Gornik Zabrze vs Slask Wroclaw (6) 0-1
Polish Liga 1:
Sandecja Nowy Sacz vs Katowice (6)
Gornik Polkowice vs Flota Swinoujscie (5)
Russian Premier League:
Terek Grozny vs Anzhi Makhachkala (5) 0-1
Kuban’ Krasnodar vs Spartak Nal’chik (7) 1-0
Rubin Kazan’ vs Lokomotiv Moscow (6) 1-2
Singaporean S-League:
Young Lions vs Balestier Khalsa (5) 0-1
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Granada vs Villarreal II (6)
Swedish Allsvenskan:
BK Hacken Goteborg vs Malmo FF (6) 1-1
Helsingborg vs Kalmar FF (7) 1-0
Swedish Superettan:
Jonkopings Sodra vs Falkenberg (6)
Turkish Super Lig:
Istanbul BB vs Manisaspor (6) 1-1
Galatasaray vs Konyaspor (5) 1-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!