CSKA Moscow Vs. Zenit St. Petersburg, Russian Premier League: Kerzhakov, Anyukov Score For Zenit To Down CSKA 2-0

With very little to lose, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both CSKA Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg going all out for the win in Saturday’s Russian Premier League encounter. That’s certainly the case for CSKA, who have selected a very attacking lineup, but we’ll have to wait and see how Zenit’s setup takes shape. Luciano Spalletti’s team selection could be either a balanced, but still positive setup or it could get very negative and defensive very quickly. Here are the lineups.

CSKA Moscow lineup: Akinfeev; Ignashevich, A. Berezutsky, V. Berezutsky, Odiah, Rahimic, Mamaev, Honda, Dzagoev, Doumbia, Vagner Love

This season, the Russian Premier League has a bit of an odd format, if you didn’t know. Because they’re changing their calendar to line up with the regular Fall-Spring European football calendar, they’re playing an 18 month season in two different stages. The top half of the teams in December will be split into a group that fights for the title in the spring, while the bottom half are split into a group fighting for relegation. Currently, CSKA Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg are the first and second placed teams in Russia.

So, this game doesn’t really mean that much for the title race. Both teams are pretty firmly locked into the top half group and will be fighting for the championship this spring. This game is really just about intimidation, momentum and bragging rights, but that will be enough to make it an entertaining affair.