Veteran member of the "Dinamo" team, Aleksandr Tochilin, gave an exclusive interview to the "Euro-Football.Ru" network publication ahead of the second round of the Russian Premier League. Euro-football.ru reported this.
He shared his thoughts on the main matches of the tournament and the teams' chances. According to Tochilin, the central match of the tournament will be the encounter between "Krasnodar" and "Lokomotiv".
Both teams started the season with a confident victory, each scoring three goals. The reigning champion "Krasnodar" is considered the main favorite of the match, but both teams displayed meaningful football in the first round.
The victory will go to the team that makes fewer mistakes and better exploits the opponent's weaknesses. "Krasnodar" has purchased Gaetan Perrin, the best assistant of the French championship.
According to the expert, Perrin may not play yet as he has recently joined the team. The team is focusing on strengthening the main lineup, which will make them more stable.
In the future, such precise reinforcements will help the team become even more qualitative. "Lokomotiv" has managed to retain its key player Sergey Pinyaev.
This young player is a leader in the team. His departure could have been a significant loss for the team, as it would have been difficult to replace him quickly.
The "Spartak" team may face difficulties in the match against "Baltika". "Spartak" always shows an unpredictable game, and it can either win or lose.
"Baltika", on the other hand, has demonstrated good gameplay as a disciplined and motivated team. There are three possible outcomes in this match.
Importantly, the "red-whites" need to establish their game well and effectively utilize their chances. In the first round, "Spartak" attacked a lot, but four goals were disallowed.
If many goals are expected, this only happens when the team scores the first goal. Otherwise, "Baltika" will strengthen its defense and try to control the game.
Usually, there are not many goals in such matches. The "Dinamo" team will host "Rostov".
This team is the one where former coach Karpin worked. Any mistake can happen in the initial rounds, as the teams have not yet fully shown their condition.
"Dinamo" is currently lagging behind in terms of results and game quality. "Rostov" left a good impression in the match against "Zenit".
If the squad depth and strength are sufficient, the result could be positive. However, "Zenit" has a strong lineup and defeated the opponent with its superiority.
Many experts emphasize that "Zenit's" team play is not yet perfect. An unexpected result may occur in the match against "Rubin".
"Rubin" is also a well-organized team that plays pragmatic football, like "Baltika". They have players who can change the game.
Interview author Elena Grigorievskaya.
