Clearly the title is, or at least should be, Rubin Kazan's. With a hearty seven-point lead manager Kurban Berdyev appears to be the miracle man and with the leadership of Serhiy Rebrov, Sergei Semak and Gökdeniz Karadeniz they are unlikely to slip-up. Spartak Nalchik visits Rubin Kazan on Saturday and the loyal Kazan Каза́нь supporters are ready to start the title celebration. Whilst Kazan slipped up last week in a rare 1-0 loss to FC Moscow, I expect them to rebound with a hearty performance.
Elsewhere on Dynamo Moscow Динамо Москва welcomes Saturn Moscow Oblast to Dynamo Stadium. Menty is locked in a tight race for second and cannot afford any slip-ups. Their normal lock-down defense collapsed last week as they gave up three goals to Krylia Sovetov Samara on the way to a draw and they have only won once in the last five matches. Oblast handled them easily in May with a 2-0 defeat and they will need to avenge that or fall victim to the table creeping up on them.
In the final match on Saturday Lokomotiv Moscow Локомотив Москва visit Tom' Tomsk. Lokokomotiv is a unique position as they are sitting on the edge of qualifying for European competition with a game to make-up but Rashid Rakhimov's men will need to maximize points where possible as they finish the season with Dinamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow, FC Moscow and Rubin Kazan. To say their challenge is daunting is an understatement.
Sunday
On Sunday the action heats up Krylia Sovetov Samara facing Spartak Moscow at Luzhniki Stadium. Meat is looking revitalized since Michael Laudrup and advanced through to the group stages of the UEFA Cup this week. They sit only a two points behind second-place CSKA Moscow but face a perilous schedule that includes a showdown against CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, Zenit Saint Petersburg and the devilish round-trip to Vladivostok. Under Michael Laudrup, I expect Nikita Bazhenov to flourish and to quickly make his way to Guus Hiddink short list. Krysy will be no push-over and equally have they own European hopes. Since uniting Anton Bober, Jan Koller and Yevgeny Savin mid-season the club has continued to play as upper table club and could easily see themselves into a European spot with a very favourable schedule in the final month of the season.
Second place CSKA Moscow visits Khimki in what should be an easy match for Koni, who are playing brilliant Football of late. Their backline led by Vasili Berezutskiy and Aleksei Berezutskiy are the best in Russia and skipper Igor Akinfeev is having a stellar season. Vágner Love is attacking with a flourish and the talk of the league is the emergence of eighteen year-old striker Alan Dzagoev. Without question Valery Gazzaev has the toughest schedule of the top teams as they face Amkar Perm', Dinamo Moscow, Spartak Moscow, FC Moscow and Rubin Kazan in their remaining matches.
Mid-table Terek Grozny visits Amkar Perm who are still reeling from the missed opportunity of last weeks nil draw to Saturn Moscow Oblast. The Red-Blacks sit on the verge of the Champions League and will need Bulgarian international Georgi Peev leadership to push them through.
After the disappointment of another loss in the Champions League, Zenit St Petersburg welcomes Luch-Energiya Vladivostok to Petrovsky Stadium. Prior to the international break Zenit should handle Vladivostok easily and keep their European hopes alive.
Finally relegation doomed Shinnik Yaroslav face FC Moscow at Streltsov Stadium. The Citizens fell out of the UEFA Cup to F.C. København this week and will be looking to rebound at home.
| GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | |
| Rubin Kazan | 23 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 32 | 16 | 48 |
| CSKA Moscow | 23 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 36 | 18 | 41 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 23 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 32 | 24 | 40 |
| Amkar Perm' | 23 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 16 | 39 |
| Spartak Moscow | 23 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 36 | 31 | 36 |
| Zenit St Petersburg | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 40 | 28 | 34 |
| Kryliya Sovetov Samara | 23 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 34 | 21 | 34 |
| Lokomotiv Moscow | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 26 | 31 |
| Spartak Nalchik | 23 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 26 | 29 |
| FC Moscow | 23 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 26 | 29 |
| Terek Grozny | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 33 | 28 |
| Tom' Tomsk | 23 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 25 |
| Saturn Moscow | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 23 | 25 |
| Luch-Energiya Vladivostok | 23 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 34 | 19 |
| Khimki | 23 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 24 | 45 | 17 |
| Shinnik Yaroslav | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 35 | 15 |
