Krasnodar V Sochi
Saturday 27th July 2019 – 17:00 Kick-Off
Russian Premier League
Pick: Krasnodar -1.5 Asian Handicap
Odds: 13/10
Bookmaker: Bet365
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/5 | 18/5 | 33/5 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 25th July 2019 at 23:48)
Preview: The Russian Premier League season is into its third gameweek, but this will be Krasnodar’s first opportunity to express themselves in front of a home crowd and they are, understandably, strong favourites to produce a winning display. Krasnodar will welcome a newly promoted side to their Krasnodar Stadium, with Sochi looking to spring a major surprise as they go in search of their first points.
Russian Premier League betting with 22Bet
Krasnodar Preview – Hosts to put on a show in first home game of season?
Following their third-place finish in last season’s Premier League, which earned them a spot in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League as well as the potential to unlock even greater riches, Krasnodar have been busy with their recruitment drive during the summer months. Therefore it was to be expected, perhaps, that there might be a few teething problems early on, especially as the fixture list didn’t exactly shine kindly upon them.
So far their campaign has been spent entirely on the road. The opening weekend saw them go to Akhmat Grozny, where they made the worst possible start to lose by a single goal. It didn’t get any easier next time out, either. A trip to FC Ufa was fraught with danger, with the home side racing into a 2-0 lead before Krasnodar produced a stunning comeback to score three times in the second period without reply and win 3-2. Unconvincing, certainly, but ‘The Bulls’ are just about up and running.
A challenging first couple weeks means Murad Musayev and his players should appreciate this return to home comforts, where the team were sensational throughout most of the previous campaign but particularly in the second half. A gut-wrenching defeat to Zenit back in April, in which they conceded the decisive goal deep into stoppage time, remains their only reverse at home since the middle of October (their form at home since then reads W7 D3 L1).
A hallmark of Krasnodar’s success last season was a commendable consistency to win games without conceding very many goals. Just three teams in the whole division shipped fewer goals at home than their tally of 11, with eight of their nine victories inside the Krasnodar Stadium accompanied by a clean sheet.
Sochi Preview – First Premier League points realistic in Krasnodar?
It might be their debut season in the Russian Premier League but the fixture list has not allowed Sochi much of a settling in period. Their first two fixtures consisted of a trip to the capital to face Spartak Moscow and a home meeting with reigning champions Zenit. Unsurprisingly, there are no points on the board as of yet. And that would appear unlikely to change anytime soon, as up next for Aleksandr Tochilin and his team is another encounter with one of the big boys of the division.
However, they aren’t quite a lost cause in this contest. Facing a couple of formidable opponents, Sochi were certainly not disgraced in their opening matches. Spartak Moscow denied them what would have been a deserved share of the points by scoring a late winner in stoppage time, while defending champions Zenit had to work hard for their 2-0 scoreline.
Moreover, they were very capable away from home last season. Against admittedly weaker sides, the team nicknamed Leopardy produced the second-best away record in the second division (W9 D7 L3). In fact, their record on the road was arguably better than at home; despite registering one point fewer, Sochi did find the back of the net with more regularity (33 v 30) as well as conceding fewer goals at the other end (16 v 18).
The one cause for concern would be a distinct lack of goal threat so far. That remains the one area where last season’s Russian National Football League runners-up have looked out of their depth; in the attacking third. The season is only two games old but they are already the only side still to score, having created very little up until now.
Krasnodar V Sochi Key Facts:
- Krasnodar have lost just one of their last eleven home Premier League fixtures (W7 D3 L1).
- Sochi lost just three times away from home en route to securing promotion last season (W9 D7 L3).
- These sides are meeting for the very first time.
Betting Summary
Krasnodar would appear to have woken from their slumber, storming back from 2-0 down away to FC Ufa last time out to claim a thriling 3-2 victory. This only a week after they opened their accounts for the season with a disappointing loss at Akhmat Grozny (L1-0). Their form at home has been exceptional (W9 D3 L3 last season), however, and they arrive in this fixture with one defeat in eleven league games on home soil (W7 D3 L1).
A daunting task, therefore, for the visiting team. Although Sochi were a tidy outfit away from home last season, albeit facing teams of less quality. Consecutive losses in their opening two games were disappointing but hardly a surprise, losing to Spartak Moscow (1-0) and Zenit (0-2). They have competed well enough thus far but remain the only side in the division still to score a goal and, more importantly, remain pointless.
After a slow start to the season, Krasnodar came alive in the second half of their latest encounter to score three times without reply. Now back at home, where their form was ominously strong last term, they are expected to continue where they left off in Ufa and should have too much for plucky Sochi.
