Russian Premier League: What to Look Forward to after the Winter Break?

Don’t lie. These last 3 months have been difficult. Since RPL action last took place plenty of things have happened and we have all (hopefully!) enjoyed a healthy and happy festive period and start to the New Year. One thing though has been missing from our lives. The SOGAZ Russian Premier League. That ends on Saturday, 8^th March at 12.30 GMT when FC Krasnodar take on Ural Yekaterinburg and the RPL makes its eagerly awaited return. With eleven games left to go, all is to play for in the Russian top flight. Let’s take a look at the excitement that’s coming our way.

Title Race

We’ve certainly seen our fair share of classic title races in Russia, but this one may surpass the lot. Going into the Winter Break, reigning champions Zenit topped the table, but only on goal difference. Lokomotiv, and Leonid Kuchuk, have surprised many this season with the way they have risen back to the very top of the RPL and they firmly intend to challenge for the trophy come May. Dame N’Doye’s ten goals have been very important for the Moscow club this season and he will need him to continue to find the back of the net during the second period of this season if they are to become champions at the end of this season.

Zenit are currently top and still remain the bookmaker’s favourites to regain their crown. As ever, Luciano Spalletti has been busy in the transfer market this winter and the signing of Salomon Rondon from Rubin Kazan made a lot of noise.

But just before the closing of the winter window, star midfielder Roman Shirokov sent shock waves through the league, joining 6th-placed Krasnodar on loan. The cause? Reportedly a dust-up with Mr. Spalletti, who himself is unlikely to last in St. Petersburg past the summer.

Zenit still have the strongest squad in Russia on paper, with a team full of international stars. However, just 5 points from the final 5 RPL games of 2013 and a shambolic defensive display against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions league last week gives their rivals good reason to be optimistic.

In 3^rd place on 39 points, just one behind Zenit and Lokomotiv, are Spartak Moscow. Spartak have gone somewhat under the radar in the title race, with a lack of consistency really preventing them from getting a real foothold at the top of the table. Aiden McGeady has finally been sold on, in a move which both parties desperately needed. Yura Movsisyan will be back from injury and with Lokomotiv’s N’Doye and Zenit new signing Salomon Rondon likely to be banging in the goals, it remains paramount that Movsisyan remains fit for Spartak.

European Places

As well as an exciting title race, the competition for European places in the RPL is certainly beginning to heat up. The pretty much 3-way title race may seem that the Champions League places are already a foregone conclusion but that is not necessarily the case. CSKA lie in 5^th place on 34 points, 5 behind Spartak in 3^rd. The back-end of 2013 was poor for CSKA and Champions league football is still the sole aim for them. One would be incredibly foolish to assume they will perform as poorly during the start of 2014.

Ahead of CSKA in 4^th, on 35 points, are Dynamo Moscow. It has been quite some time since Dynamo have really been a threat at the summit of the RPL. Dan Petrescu is a very highly regarded manager ,with a decent reputation across Europe. Petrescu has a very exciting team at his disposal in experienced faces like Kevin Kuranyi and Andriy Voronin, combined with some bright young talents. Dynamo’s game at home to CSKA this Sunday will be a thrilling one and should any teams above them slip up, expect Dynamo to pounce.

Also with a very real chance of playing continental football next season are surprise packages Krasnodar (33) and Amkar Perm (30). Both of these teams were expected to struggle somewhat with Amkar seen as a possible relegation candidate. The manner, though, in which both clubs have performed has been exceptional and is a true credit to the RPL’s high level of intrigue and entertainment. The challenge is firmly on now for both clubs to perform just as well in the remaining games with the prize of European football staring them in the face. Krasnodar, of course, will be in the spotlight as it looks to slot Shirokov into an already solid offense led by Brazilian striker Wanderson (8 goals).

Relegation

With matters at the top so close and interesting, it would not be surprising to see the teams up there get all the publicity, ignoring a proper race for survival down at the bottom. Anzhi have lurched from one crisis to another recently, remarkably failing to win a single game during the first part of the RPL season.

However, reaching the last 16 of the Europa League will no doubt boost confidence, with the competitive games during the Russian football break an invaluable advantage. The squad is unquestionably stronger than those of its relegation rivals-having added Aleksandr Bukharov and Oleksandr Aliyev, among others-but with just 11 games to go and many top teams still to face, the pressure is well and truly on for Dagestan to avoid relegation.

Should Anzhi get cut off at the bottom, the relegation battle will remain just as tense. Three clubs: Ural Yekaterinburg, Terek Grozny and Tom Tomsk all stare the real prospect of relegation in the face, but unlike bottom club Anzhi, they have proved that they can maybe get a result against the big boys and pick up a win when they need it most. Matches like Ural vs. Anzhi, Ural vs. Tom and Terek vs. Anzhi proving intriguing with victory for either side priceless.

Volga Nizhny Novgorod are in danger of being forced to play a playoff tie against a 2^nd tier side, especially given their disastrous run of form before the winter break. That record of 6 league games without a win will prove very encouraging to the likes of Terek and Ural, whom Volga must face in the final two games of the season.