Spartak Moscow v Shinnik Yaroslav match preview

After a solid performance in losing to Rubin Kazan 1-0 last week, Michael Laudrup will be looking to get the club back in the winning column and there is likely not better squad then relegation-threatened Shinnik Yaroslav.

Recent Form
Spartak Moscow - combined (1 W, 2 D, 2 L)(5 GS, 6 GA)
Aug 17 Amkar Perm' 1 - 1 Spartak Moscow
Aug 23 Spartak Moscow 1 - 1 Dynamo Moscow
Aug 31 Spartak Moscow 2 - 1 Spartak Nalchik
Sep 13 FC Moscow 2 - 1 Spartak Moscow
Sep 21 Spartak Moscow 0 - 1 Rubin Kazan

Spartak Moscow - away (1 W, 2 D, 2 L)(6 GS, 8 GA)
Jul 6 Terek Grozny 3 - 1 Spartak Moscow
Jul 19 Lokomotiv Moscow 2 - 2 Spartak Moscow
Aug 2 Tom' Tomsk 0 - 1 Spartak Moscow 16,000
Aug 17 Amkar Perm' 1 - 1 Spartak Moscow
Sep 13 FC Moscow 2 - 1 Spartak Moscow

Shinnik Yaroslav - combined (W, 1 D, 4 L)(4 GS, 6 GA)
Aug 17 Zenit St Petersburg 1 - 3 Shinnik Yaroslav
Aug 23 Shinnik Yaroslav 0 - 1 Tom' Tomsk
Aug 29 Khimki 0 - 0 Shinnik Yaroslav
Sep 14 Shinnik Yaroslav 1 - 2 Amkar Perm'
Sep 20 Dynamo Moscow 2 - 0 Shinnik Yaroslav

Shinnik Yaroslav - home (W, 2 D, 3 L)(3 GS, 6 GA)
Jul 12 Shinnik Yaroslav 0 - 0 PFK Samara Kryliya Sovetov
Jul 27 Shinnik Yaroslav 1 - 1 Terek Grozny
Aug 9 Shinnik Yaroslav 1 - 2 Luch-Energiya Vladivostok
Aug 23 Shinnik Yaroslav 0 - 1 Tom' Tomsk
Sep 14 Shinnik Yaroslav 1 - 2 Amkar Perm'

Shinnik are capable of pulling off an upset, as anyone who witnessed their 3-1 destruction of Zenit can attest to and are fighting to avoid relegation, so this will be a tough battle. A draw for Spartak would be a major problem given the log-jam at the top of the table for European bids.

I will report on this match with with my weekly round-up of the Russian Premier League.