4/1 Russian Premier League acca. Artur Petrosyan’s prediction

Ufa – Terek

Ufa are not as bad as their results suggest. Right, they haven’t won since November, now lost three in a row, but they were competitive in all of them. The Evgeny Perevertailo’s side are now third from behind, taking one of the two relegation playoffs spots. They’d obviously like to avoid that nervous affair and keeping in mind the fact that the desired 12th spot is just five points away should motivate them enough.

Terek on the other hand haven’t lost since November and they’ve won three times in the four matchweeks since the Premier League resumed in March. They’ve been pretty impressive under the guidance of tactically wise manager in Rashid Rakhimov and are now only eight points off the top with a game in hand after 22 matchweeks. They are still a home team though, having no losses at home in 11 games, but winning only three times in 11 games away from home.

They won’t find it easy at Ufa, especially in the first half. The home side will make their life difficult with their pressing and two youngsters Alexander Zinchenko mainly and Vyacheslav Krotov looking bright and offering a lot in attack.

1^st half – Ufa or Draw – 1.40

Krasnodar – Ural

Beating Ufa last Saturday virtually made sure Ural won’t have to go through relegation playoffs like they did last year. The modest team that is managed by a 40-year-old Belarusian Vadim Skripchenko has no serious funds to challenge big clubs, but they are just two points behind big spenders Spartak Moscow. They tend to constantly create themselves chances to score, mainly through counter attacks which seem possible thanks to Gerson Asevedo and now Aleksandr Ryazantsev loaned from Zenit St.Petersburg in February, both of whom are operating on the wings and ever young Spartak Gogniev who at his 35 years of age keeps working hard and just can’t stop scoring.

Ural haven’t lost since November, winning and drawing three times each in the last 6 league games. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise if they avoid losing at Krasnodar who returned to winning ways crashing poor Dinamo Moscow 4-1 last Monday. They did look like being close to their best attacking football, but it was still only Dinamo who should consider themselves lucky to stay in the Premier League for next season.

Krasnodar will possess the ball most of the time against Ural and create enough chances. But they’ve never been great when losing the ball and are prone to suffering from quick breaks. That could prove dangerous against such team as Ural.

Both Teams To Score – 1.95

Spartak Moscow – Kuban

The most successful Russian club can’t make their fans happy for another season. Loss at Rostov have put 9-time Russian champions down to 7th with no much perspective of improving and clinching at least a European place. The Red-whites have all sorts of problems in the team and in the club, with the beautiful new stadium being the only positive thing for them in recent years.

Another strange decisions from the manager Dmitry Alenichev lead to a 0-2 loss at Rostov, with Spartak opting to play five defenders against the most pragmatic team managed by the most pragmatic coach in the country. Spartak are really lucky that Quincy Promes’, their one of few valuable assets, knee injury suffered during Netherlands – England friendly, wasn’t too serious although it looked like he might’ve been out for at least 6 months. So he’s in and along with Ivelin Popov and back-in-form Ze Luis, can surely make Kuban’s life difficult.

Kuban are probably the most problematic club in the Premier League at the moment. The players have only been paid for the first time in four months this week, and it’s not going too well on the pitch for them either. They won just once in four Spring matchweeks and got eliminated from the Cup. Not too great start of 2016, is it?

They’re still a decent counter-attacking team and with Spartak having ever-lasting problems in defense and holding midfield area, Kuban will have their chances which may result in at least one goal.

Both Teams To Score – 1.95