The first season in history as champions of the country for Krasnodar began predictably difficult. Defending any title/status is always harder than achieving it in the first place. Thus, Murad Musaev's team has been facing challenges since stepping onto the pitch in Kazan for the Super Cup of Russia match against CSKA. Last season was triumphant for the 'Bulls' only in the Premier League. The Russian Cup was surrendered by Krasnodar's management almost without a fight, as it was not regarded as a priority tournament. More often than not, Musaev fielded the second string in cup matches to give the 'substitute players' some game practice. This coach is known for having the fewest number of players in the Premier League involved in championship matches. It is for this reason that Krasnodar failed to secure one of the top two spots in their group during last season's group stage. At that time, the 'Bulls' lost four times in matches against CSKA, Akhmat, and Pari NN, finishing only in third place. Subsequently, Krasnodar was eliminated in the playoffs by the same Akhmat. In the current season, Murad Musaev will stick to the same strategy regarding the Russian Cup. Already, many newcomers to the club are eagerly awaiting playing time: Zhubal, Stezhko, Koryakin, Perrin, Gustavo Furtao, and Douglas Augusto. And it is not a fact that a team which has never played together in such a lineup will immediately play at a level that is sufficient for a convincing victory over Krylya Sovetov. The Samara team also did not pay much attention to the national cup last season. The 'Wings' found themselves in a group with Moscow's Spartak and Dynamo, as well as Dynamo from Makhachkala, and failed to win even once, settling for two draws. The new championship has started well for Krylya Sovetov, and they are in high spirits. Rakov, who joined from Lokomotiv, has proven to be a good addition to the team. This player scored in each of the two matches that 'the Wings' played in the Premier League. Krylya Sovetov themselves drew with Akron (1:1) and managed to defeat Pari NN at the very end of the match (2:0). There is no doubt that the home side will play as the first choice in Krasnodar, regardless of the lineup they present. However, their organization of play is not at the highest level, which will allow the guests to perform well.