On Saturday, 26th July, Krasnodar will play at home against Lokomotiv. It turns out that after the first round, this match represents a clash of the leaders of the championship. Both teams previously won with a score of 3:0.

Krasnodar handled Pari NN with class, but the match was not straightforward. The opponent created enough threats to the 'bulls' goal – a worrying sign for Murad Musayev. The victory was secured thanks to the mistakes of the opponents' defender Viktor Aleksandrov. The player first lost a duel during a set piece and then astonishingly scored an own goal with a long-range shot while attempting to pass to the goalkeeper.

An important piece of news for Krasnodar is the transfer of Gaetan Perrin. It is not very often that a player from the French league, especially the top assist provider of Ligue 1 last season, comes to the RPL. It is quite possible that Perrin will still be finding his form. In this game, Murad Musayev will likely trust proven performers. Eduard Spertsyan is still with the team, though there are many rumours regarding a future transfer. There are no serious problems with the squad for Krasnodar.

As for Lokomotiv, the main topic is the future of Sergey Pinyaev. The midfielder was highly coveted by CSKA – but it did not work out. Pinyaev himself explained that he is only looking towards Europe now. Other clubs in Russia do not interest him. This is a relief for Lokomotiv, but Pinyaev is currently injured. Mikhail Galaktionov has to work with a very diminished squad, as the team did not strengthen significantly over the summer.

Currently, the main players on the flanks of the attack are Nikita Saltykov and Alexander Rudenko. Zelimkhan Bakaev is also in the rotation. The squad is clearly not geared for a title challenge, and there are doubts about medal prospects.

In the match against Sochi, Lokomotiv won comfortably, but up until the 80th minute, they did not create many goal-scoring chances. They managed to squeeze out the win thanks to substitutions. Bakaev and Dmitry Vorobyov revitalised the attack. Lokomotiv scored three goals in the closing stages and secured their first win. However, there are worrying signs. Aleksey Batrakov is no longer as dangerous as he was last season. The player is, firstly, being better contained, and secondly, he is no longer surprising with long-range shots and wonder assists.

Lokomotiv is rated quite low for this match. Krasnodar will have the home advantage. After all, it’s the first match in the champion’s status. The other question is whether Lokomotiv may look better in counter-attacking football at the moment. Krasnodar previously lost to CSKA in the Super Cup match. The team is not 100% ready yet. A thrashing in this match seems unlikely. It’s also worth considering options for a total less than. Bookmakers expect a high-scoring game, but in the last three matches out of four, the opponents have not exceeded the goals.