"We can witness spring football": Khokhlov about the match "Lokomotiv" - CSKA, the absence of Akinfeev and the choice of Nikolic

"The motivation of football players will be over the roof"

- This is a Moscow derby.

This sign speaks for itself.

I would like to see good, interesting football.

So far, we know little about the teams, since they just returned from the pre-season training camp, where they had only control meetings.

We'll see how they will look at the official level.

- Before the game against CSKA Lokomotiv is nine points behind the opponent and is in eighth place.

Can we say that for him this match is the last hope of getting hold of medals?

- For Marko Nikolic's charges, this meeting is at least very important.

If they play badly, they will fall even further behind the competition.

Although, of course, the words about the "last hope" sound too loud.

I would not say that this is their last opportunity to keep up with the teams that will compete for medals.

But if Lokomotiv wins, it will certainly stay in the game.

Plus, the team will receive the most important positive charge.

This is a chance to start all over again and forget the bad ending of last year.

Football players need to make sure they are really ready to deliver.  

- In case of defeat, CSKA may be seven points behind Zenit.

In this case, the championship race will be over?

- Here everyone solves their own problems.

The successful outcome of the derby will help CSKA continue the race for gold, while a misfire will significantly complicate life.

But even in this case, the army team will not let go and give up.

There will still be a chance for the championship even if Zenit increases the lead in the standings to seven points.

- In the matches of the Russian Cup, the strongest Russian teams showed not the best game and did not shine with high speeds.

Can we assume that in the derby, the fans will witness the so-called "spring football"?

“I'm afraid so.

In such conditions, character and moral and volitional qualities always come to the fore.

It is absolutely unclear what to expect from the weather.

In addition, you must understand: the teams were preparing for the resumption of the season in completely different conditions.

Therefore, adaptation will also affect the players.

- Does this mean that we will see a stubborn game to a goal?

“Not at all.

I hope the match will keep us on our toes until the very final whistle.

It is difficult to say if anyone dares to play open football.

It all depends on who prepared what for the opponent.

It is difficult to argue on this topic before the game.

- CSKA lost the last two matches to Loko.

In this regard, will the team have a special attitude towards the opponent?

- I don’t think that before the game the players will start to remember those defeats.

I repeat, this is a Moscow derby, and the players always have a special mood for such meetings.

Motivation and so will be above the roof.

"CSKA must be able to play without Akinfeev"

- Will the loss of Igor Akinfeev and Igor Diveev, presumably out of action due to coronavirus, become critical for CSKA?

- Of course, this is a huge problem for the team.

Akinfeev, of course, this applies to a greater extent.

He is the leader of the army team and the top goalkeeper not only for CSKA, but for all Russian football.

Without Diveyev, Goncharenko will also have a difficult time, because he has no equivalent replacement.

I do not exclude that the coach in this situation will return to the formation with three central defenders.

Why not?

For a long time, his players played exactly according to this scheme and will easily rebuild.

Moreover, Viktor Vasin, Vadim Karpov and Kirill Nababkin are able to come out in the top three.

And this does not mean that CSKA will close on the defensive.

With three CZs it is quite possible to play the attack.

- Will the fact that the defense will be led not by the experienced Akinfeev, but by the young Ilya Pomazun, who was on loan, will it affect the CSKA players?

- Of course, they feel more confident when Akinfeev is at the goal, but CSKA can already be called a fairly experienced team, despite the presence of a number of young performers.

CSKA must be able to play without their captain.

- Don't you think that CSKA became a hostage to Akinfeev's irreplaceability?

- Well, what to do if there really is no replacement for Igor at the moment?

In many teams, there is such a situation when a strong goalkeeper has been playing for years, and a replacement close to him simply does not appear.

Of course, I would not want Akinfeev to end his career or get injured, but he will turn 35 in April.

Undoubtedly, he is a key figure for CSKA.

- Goncharenko on the eve of the derby can count on three forwards: Ilya Shkurin, Fyodor Chalov and Solomon Rondon.

Can CSKA play with two forwards?

- I do not think that the army team will do it.

After all, they were playing a scheme with one person in front.

Others, if they enter the field, it is likely only to replace.

It will be rather a forced measure.

If we talk about which of the three appeals to me personally, I will name Chalov.

There are no fears that he will be on the bench because of the arrival of Rondon, it all depends on the current state of the players.

If Fedor looks stronger than his competitors in training, Goncharenko will have to put him in the starting lineup.

- In your opinion, how long will it take for Rondon to get in shape?

- Let's not forget that Solomon does not need to adapt to our championship, this is a huge plus.

As for his form, only the coaching staff knows in what condition he arrived: at zero or at 50% readiness.  

"The confrontation in the support zone will be decisive"

- Anton Miranchuk will also miss the match.

In his absence, will it be hard for Loko to count on a good result or is the role of the midfielder in the team not so great?

- Miranchuk, of course, is very good, but his loss cannot be compared with the loss of CSKA Akinfeev.

Although, again, he is a great footballer.

But today Anton does not play such a significant role in Loko.

Rather, I would name Grzegorz Krychowiak, who, in my opinion, is a system-forming performer.

Without it, it is impossible to imagine the support zone of railway workers.

- Pablo scored a goal in his debut match for Loko, but together with Vedran Chorluka they held their first official meeting.

Could their lack of play go into CSKA's hands?

- Teamwork in the defensive line is incredibly important.

It will take Pablo and Chorluka to grind for some time.

But how long this process will take is difficult to say now.

- Vitaly Lisakovich looked good at the training camp and in the cup match against Tambov.

Can we say that he has already adapted to the Russian championship and is ready to play at the start?

- This can only be decided by Nikolic.

Only he sees him in action every day.

Let's see how Lisakovich will show himself in the next games.

If he acts brightly, we can say that the Belarusian has really adapted to the RPL.

Yes, a person can go out and score in one match, but stability is important.

If it is, we can say that the player is ready.

Moreover, Vitaly has enough competitors at Lokomotiv.

- In the match against Tambov, Loko played with two forwards - Francois Camano and Lisakovich, while Eder remained on the bench.

Can we see this lineup in the derby as well?

- Probably.

It was not for nothing that Nikolic made a choice in favor of this scheme in the cup game.

It is unlikely that he took such a step artificially, for example, to provide someone with practice or to rest before the derby.

Unfortunately, Ze Luish and Fyodor Smolov are experiencing health problems.

There is Eder, but he did not renew his contract with the club.

I would not say that the Portuguese is no longer an assistant to the team.

While he is at Lokomotiv, he is able to be useful.

Let's see how often Nikolic will use it.

In such a situation, you cannot count on Eder alone, you have to play other people.  

- Can Kamano's debut goal, even against a weak opponent, be taken as evidence that he is slowly adapting to Russian football?

- It always gives the player a boost of confidence.

If Kamano continues to score, it will be great.

But it is not excluded that the goal for Tambov is a single action.

I would like to be wrong, because the fans expect a lot from him.

And a lot of money was paid for François - € 5.5 million.

- In the match with Tambov, 19-year-old Maksim Mukhin played in the center of midfield, although Stanislav Magkeev and Daniil Kulikov remained on the bench.

Wouldn't it be a risk on Nikolic's side to release a very young footballer on the field and in the derby?

- Any specialist always builds on the current state of the players.

If Mukhin shows himself well in the training process and looks brighter than his competitors, then why should Nikolic not put him on the derby?

Lack of experience?

Well, do not let out less powerful performers on the field now.

Experience is just gained in matches like against CSKA.

In general, of course, the confrontation in the support zone will become decisive.

Krykhovyak and Mukhin, or his partners, will have to restrain Nikol Vlasic himself.

But in derby it will be important to play well in all lines.