Europa League Special Part 10: Contenders for the trophy – CSKA Moscow
Professional Football Club Central Sports Club of Army Moscow
Preferred Formation: 4-4-1-1
Defence:
CSKA have the best goalkeeper in the Russian League, Igor Akinfeev
Igor Akinfeyev. Leonid Slutsky has a strong defence with the Berezutski brothers playing the central defence. Aleksei Berezutski and Vasili Berezutski are not the fastest defenders in Russia but with a deep defensive line, they are almost impossible to beat,
especially in the air. Deividas Šemberas has been with the club since 2002 and is a virtual guarantee at the right back spot. On the left, young sensation Georgi Schennikov will start. The nineteen year old has already racked up 49 appearances for the club
and looks set to have a bright future ahead of him. For all the talent in the starting lineup, Slutsky doesn’t have enough defensive cover should his side go through an injury crisis.
Midfield:
Zoran Tosic and Mark Gonzalez line up on the flanks for the Army Men. Gonzalez is a seasoned player and has featured heavily in the Champions League. His experience at the highest level will always be an asset. Tosic is a highly rated winger who had
a spell at Old Trafford. With chances hard to come by, Tosic left Manchester United earlier this season and has made an immediate impact in Moscow. Slutsky has Keisuke Honda and Pavel Mamaev playing in the central midfield positions. While Mamaev isn’t the
best of defensive midfielders, Honda has been a revelation ever since he made his move from the Japanese J-League. The Japan International is a highly sought after commodity and holds his own against the best of teams. Alan Dzagoev plays the attacking midfielder
role and despite being only twenty, he has already made eleven International Caps.
Attack:
While none of the CSKA strikers can be tagged world-class, Vagner Love, Tomáš Necid and Seydou Doumbia can all be relied upon to find the back of the net. Necid in particular has made a habit of scoring against big teams; a skill that will come in
handy deep into the competition. With Slutsky playing a lone striker, the players can be rotated thus giving them a chance to keep up with their stamina.
The one key player:
Keisuke Honda. There is no other way around it. The Japanese made an instant impact with the club as CSKA humiliated Sevilla in last year’s UEFA Champions League. The performance wasn’t a one-off as the player continued his rich vein to perform in
the League and also at the World Cup. Honda has the ability to run the show from midfield and his role will get increasingly important once the competition progresses.
Chances:
The Russian league season is almost at an end and the players will be able to rest till the New Year. The squad will be fresh and injury-free when the knock-out stage starts. With the quality of the players Slutsky has at his disposal, the Russian
giants can go deep into the competition.
Prediction:
Leonid Slutsky has taken the secondary continental competition seriously so far and has recorded some hugely impressive results – the 3 – 1 demolition of Palermo and Sicily was an impeccable performance. However, in the later stages of Europa league,
when teams from Champions League make their entry, quality of opposition players will be different altogether. Teams playing a high-temp game with fast players will give a slow defence the run for their money. CSKA to make it to the quarter-finals but not
further!
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