CSKA victory
The team from Krasnodar Krai will play its first match after the winter break. It’s hard to predict anything about the inhabitants of Sochi, because we haven’t seen them in action for a long time. The team is playing unstable this season – a typical mediocre team. They are in the middle of the table, four points behind their rival, but at the same time with a significant advantage over the relegation zone. There is no tournament position for any great motivation.
CSKA successfully started the second part of the championship by beating Krasnodar 3-0 in the first play-off match. Yes, in many ways questions should be asked in defense of the southerners, but this does not change the fact that the capital’s players successfully used the opportunities that Krasnodar generously gave them. The return match, like in spirit, became a formality, so the loss with the score 0:1 CSKA cannot be taken to heart. Admittedly, due to the lack of European competitions, CSKA also does not have much motivation for the season, but it is still possible to fight for a place in the top three.
It’s hard to judge the line-up even though Sochi’s current state is unclear. However, I think that the impression that CSKA is now in good shape is not deceptive. So I risk betting on the win of the visitors.