FC Krasnodar easily beat PFC Sochi, PFC Kuban is fighting to keep a place in the First League, FC Chernomorets has excellent chances for promotion

The new coach did not save

Last week, Sochi hosted Krasnodar. The game was held as part of the 23rd round of the Russian Championship. On the eve of this meeting, the leadership of the resorts dismissed the head coach Kurban Berdyev. The place of the famous mentor was taken by his assistant Dmitry Khokhlov. In addition to the confrontation itself, the game had another fundamental context. Both teams represent the same region – the Krasnodar Territory, so their rivalry has an additional incentive. Khokhlov is from Krasnodar. Also, the former pupil of the “bulls” Denis Adamov stood at the gates of the Sochi residents. All these facts usually stir up interest in the match. But 3,129 spectators came to the game, which is only seven percent of the stadium’s capacity. Maximum “Fisht” can visit 47659 people. Most likely, the main reason was the need for viewers to issue a Fan ID.

The game immediately went spectacular and remained so until the final whistle. Both teams actively exchanged attacks. “Krasnodar” traditionally looked more active in this matter, the team of Vladimir Ivic at least declares attacking football, and the personnel of the “townspeople” was objectively stronger. It was the “bulls” who were the first to create dangerous moments. First, Kadi Borges ran into the penalty area and hit the hosts’ goal from an acute angle – Adamov repelled the threat with his foot. Then Joaozinho decided to check Matvey Safonov from a long distance – the ball “dived” in front of the goalkeeper, but the goalkeeper predicted a rebound and beat the “shell” to the side. John Cordoba, as often happens, missed a great moment to open an account. At the 29th minute of the match, the Colombian received a penetrating pass into the penalty area from Borges, found himself face to face with the goalkeeper and shot on the move and with force under the far post. Adamov repulsed this threat.

The goal came in the fortieth minute of the match. First, Artur Yusupova lost the ball in the center of the field, the “projectile” picked up Joao Batchi, brought it to the penalty line, and then hit it under the near post from under the defender. Adamov was caught on the counter move and could not help out Sochi – 0: 1.

A successful goal liberated Krasnodar even more. Guests began to play more lively and continued to develop success. The second goal came right after the start of the second half. In the 48th minute, Eduard Spertsyan broke into the center, gave an accurate pass to Batchi’s left flank – the Angolan crossed the ball to the far corner of the goalkeeper’s area, here he could shoot at Cordoba’s goal, but the forward made a allowance for the penalty mark, from where Nikita Krivtsov, who came running, accurately shot into the corner of the goal . Adamov tried to reach the “projectile”, but it flew over his hands – 0: 2.

Immediately after the resumption of the game, Kryvtsov could have scored his ninth goal of the season. The midfielder punched the bottom after Sergey Petrov’s cross to the near post, Adamov did not miss the ball between his legs. Then the game got even more fun. Cordoba had two great chances to score, but the goalkeeper of Sochi prevented him. The victory over the “leopards” was the fourth in a row for the “townspeople” in their confrontation. In total, in the entire history of their meetings, the “black-greens” have won five times, drawn once and lost three times.

Ivic played his tenth official match as the head coach of the “citizens”, having won the seventh victory in these meetings (the cup game with Rostov was achieved as a result of a penalty shoot-out). For the entire period of the Bulls’ performance in the strongest league in Russia, only mentor Igor Shalimov was more successful than Ivic in the starting ten-match segment.

The victory allowed Krasnodar to overtake Akhmat in the standings and climb to sixth place with 38 points. Sochi has not changed its position, with 31 points it still occupies the ninth line.

Now the “bulls” are waiting for the cup game against the “Wings of the Soviets”. The match will take place on the nineteenth of April in Krasnodar. After the “townspeople” in the 24th round of the championship of Russia will play away against “Spartak”. The meeting will take place on April 24th. Sochi players have long been eliminated from the Cup, they are waiting for another game in the Russian Premier League, on April 23, Khokhlov’s team will play in Grozny against Akhmat.

Meanwhile, Safonov entered the top three most expensive Russian football players. The rating was compiled by the authoritative portal Transfermarkt, which notes the transfer value of players. Monaco midfielder Alexander Golovin was named the most expensive football player: his market value is estimated at 25 million euros. The second and third places were shared by the goalkeeper and captain of Krasnodar, as well as Dynamo Moscow midfielder Arsen Zakharyan. Transfermarkt values ​​them at fifteen million euros. At the same time, other players of the “bulls” are not included in the ten most expensive Russian football players. Although there is a pupil of the “citizens” – Dynamo midfielder Daniil Fomin. Transfermarkt values ​​him at eight million euros.

No sponsor, but still holding on

Gradually begins to crawl out of the relegation zone in the First League PFC Kuban. Recall that since the new year, the “yellow-greens” have been headed by Belarusian coach Andrei Sosnitsky. Then the Krasnodar team was in the relegation zone. The team has already played seven games this year. In them, she won three victories – over the capital’s “Veles”, Yaroslavl “Shinnik” and Tula “Arsenal”, suffered one defeat from the Kazan “Rubin” and achieved three draws – with the Vladikavkaz “Alania”, Astrakhan “Volgar” and “SKA- Khabarovsk. Now, according to the results of 27 rounds, Kuban occupies the fourteenth place in the standings, which allows the club to retain the opportunity to play in the First League next season.

Sosnitsky’s team has seven more games to play this season. Among future rivals there are both leaders of the tournament and outsiders, so the situation for Kuban is still difficult. Even more difficult and uncertain is the issue of financing the club. The main sponsor of “Kuban” – the investment and construction holding AVA Group – left at the end of last year. It is not clear who will now run the club. There were rumors that the diversified holding Sinara would finance Kuban. But so far, there have been no official announcements in this regard. Sources in the club anonymously report that the holding has allocated eighty million rubles to the club at the end of the season, but has not yet given any obligations to take on further financing of Kuban. Perhaps the decision will be made depending on whether the club will be able to maintain a “registration” in the First League.

Chances are high like no one else

But for the Novorossiysk “Chernomorets” so far everything is going very well. According to the results of 24 rounds of the Second League (group 1), the team of Konstantin Zyryanov has 57 points and takes first place in the standings. The gap from the nearest competitor – Peschanokopskaya “Seagull” – six points. Ahead there are two games of the first stage. In the second stage, which Chornomorets has already entered, the team will compete for a ticket to the First League between the six best teams of the tournament. The stage will be held in one round, while the teams will retain points, goals, goal difference of the first stage. The chances of Chornomorets winning this season are high in the first group, like no other.

Recall that in September last year, the Novorossiysk club found a new sponsor. They became a local businessman, politician, president of the Delo company Sergey Shishkarev. Andrey Kravchenko, mayor of Novorossiysk, became the new president of the club. Three-time champion of Russia, winner of the UEFA Cup Konstantin Zyryanov was invited to the post of head coach.

The new sponsor announced that he was going to build all the necessary infrastructure for the team in Novorossiysk. To do this, a land plot is selected, which the businessman is going to acquire in order to build a stadium there. There is another option – the reconstruction of the stadium “Central”. Now both ways are being calculated. According to the investor, the new arena should accommodate twelve to eighteen thousand spectators. Perhaps it will be a sports complex that will house both a football field and other facilities. Sports ambitions of the new sponsor are also high. The first task is to enter the elite of domestic football.