“Ak Bars” and “Lokomotiv” played in the first final of the Gagarin Cup, so each of their matches is special. Now they are fighting for the Latvian Cup railway. Who will win?
August 24. 17:00. Hockey. Latvian Railway Cup. "Ak Bars" - "Lokomotiv". Stadium "Inbox Arena" (Pinki).
Kazan Ak Bars returned to the KHL Olympus after nine years of failure. Now Zinetulla Bilyaletdinov’s team faces the task of defending the title. The Leopards' selection work was controversial. The team lost a lot in terms of image, parting with defender Vasily Tokranov. On the other hand, most of the leaders, including Emil Garipov and Justin Azevedo, were preserved.
The strengthening of the Leopards mainly affected the defensive line. The team's roster was supplemented by two defensemen with experience playing in the NHL - Paul Postma and Andrei Pedan. The Ak Bars attack line was strengthened mainly by its own students, with the exception of Pavel Padakin. The forward must add speed and aggression to the Kazan club's attack. Definitely, Kazan will not have problems with squad depth.
The off-season for Ak Bars is turning out to be very intense. The Kazan team has already played nine control matches. The Leopards won four victories, drew twice and suffered three defeats. It is noteworthy that the club from Tatarstan has already played Lokomotiv Yaroslavl twice. While the principal rivals exchanged victories in regulation time.
Lokomotiv weakened in the off-season. After an ineffective playoff, the team management decided to part with most of the foreign players. At the same time, the high-profile transfers of the “railroad workers” are not working yet: the future of striker David Deharne is very vague. Stepan Sannikov is also unlikely to become a forward-scorer. Apparently, Lokomotiv will rely on its own youth.
In the preseason, Lokomotiv's problems did not particularly manifest themselves. At this stage, priority is given to functional training rather than playing the correct combinations. In seven games, the “railwaymen” won three victories, tied once and suffered three defeats. As for the games with Ak Bars, Loko has an advantage here. In two matches of the last regular season, the Yaroslavl team won with a total score of 10:3.
Estimated team compositions:
"Ak Bars": Goalkeeper: Emil Garipov;
Defenders: Andrey Markov, Andrey Pedan, Mikhail Sidorov, Albert Yarullin, Paul Postma, Nikita Lyamkin, Rafael Batyrshin;
Forwards: Stanislav Galiev, Artem Lukoyanov, Andrey Popov, Alexander Svitov, Vladimir Tkachev, Pavel Padakin, Anton Lander, Mikhail Glukhov, Jiri Sekach, Justin Azevedo, Alexander Burmistrov, Alexey Potapov Rob Klinkhammer;
"Locomotive": Goalkeeper: Daniil Isaev;
Defenders: Pavel Koledov, Ilya Lyubushkin, Alexander Elesin, Rushan Rafikov, Alexander Kutuzov, Nikita Cherepanov, Ziyat Paigin;
Forwards: Egor Averin, Petri Kontiola, Denis Alekseev, Stepan Sannikov, Pavel Kudryavtsev, Artur Kayumov, Vladislav Kartaev, Daniil Yurtaikin, Andrey Loktionov, Pavel Kraskovsky, Artyom Ilyenko, Daniil Apalkov, Egor Korshkov, Alexander Kadeikin;
Conclusion:
Ak Bars is significantly superior to Lokomotiv in terms of the level of performers. First of all, this concerns the offensive line. The “Railroad” workers simply lost their strong point in the majority, being too carried away by the trust of young people. Of course, any results are possible during the preseason, but we still recommend playing to the best of the Leopards’ strength. The forecast for the match will be victory 1, estimated by BC Leon at odds of 1.95.
Hockey December 08, 2017Open game day on Friday, December 8th at Continental hockey league, at 19:00 Moscow time, in Kazan on the Tatneft Arena ice, there will be a meeting between Ak Bars and Lokomotiv.
Experts from BC 1xStavka are betting on the hosts of the match in Kazan. The odds for Ak Bars to win are 2.19. For a draw in regulation time the odds are 4.14. The coefficient for Victoria Lokomotiv is 2.98. There are teams that have scored more than 100 goals this season in the KHL. The odds for the total of the match are interesting and high: TB5 – 2.73, and TM5 goals – 1.48.
For Ak Bars, the upcoming game will be the 5th home game in a row, to put it mildly, the Leopards are not succeeding in a series of games on their ice. In the previous 4 matches, the team suffered 3 defeats, losing to SKA 2:3 in overtime in the last round. Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's team lost 0:2 during the match, equalized the score, but failed to win. Despite " black stripe“In the championship, Ak Bars remains the leader of the Eastern Conference with 73 points and a goal difference of 107-77. The Leopards' performance this season is 2.74 goals, conceding 1.9 per game. In 20 matches on their ice, Ak Bars scored 39 points, scoring 57 and conceding 37 goals. The leaders of the Kazan attacks are Sekach 12+19 and Tkachev 17+9.
Lokomotiv, unlike its rivals, has now gained an amazing momentum, winning 8 victories in 9 matches. Winning streak The “railroad workers” have 5 fights with a total score of 21-6. If Lokomotiv won the first 4 matches in a bright scoring style, then their last match against Sochi ended only in overtime 2:1, avoiding defeat in the 57th minute of the match, and then putting the finishing touches on the home team. With 72 points and a goal difference of 106-91, Kvartalny’s team is in 4th place in the Western table. On average, Lokomotiv scores 2.7 goals, and the team concedes 2.3 shots per match. The visiting club from Yaroslavl scored 32 points in 18 games, scoring 42 and conceding 45 goals. The trio is responsible for the goals for Lokomotiv: Kronwall 7+18, Kozun 8+15 and Apalkov 12+10.
Ak Bars and Lokomotiv met 35 times in history, the Kazan team had a minimal advantage of 18 wins versus 17 for the Yaroslavl team. But the goal difference is 81-72 in favor of Lokomotiv. The teams have already played this season; on October 13, Lokomotiv defeated Ak Bars at home 6:2. You shouldn’t expect a repeat of this result in the next match; the match will turn out to be equal and not very productive, similar to the recent meeting between the Leopards and SKA. Bet: TM5 with odds 1.48.
The weekend will begin for hockey fans with two matches of top teams that are vying for KHL medals. Let's consider the confrontation between Lokomotiv and AK Bars - clubs following a similar schedule. Both teams are a couple of wins behind the conference leaders and stand out for their intermittent series of successful games. It is extremely difficult to preliminarily select a favorite, but FutZone experts carefully analyzed the fight and prepared a forecast.
"Locomotive"
Yaroslavl once again delights neutral fans with a thriller on the ice, but the team’s loyal fans are turning gray en masse. The match with Torpedo brought two comebacks and a shootout ending. The hosts controlled the course of the match for 60 minutes: the territorial and statistical advantage was off the charts. However, the guests took advantage of rare chances and led 0:2. Kvartalny's team found the strength to fight back and even take the lead, but six seconds before the final siren they allowed them to level the score.
The level of skill and quality of Lokomotiv hockey makes every opponent worry. But the problem is execution and constant mistakes in defense. By adding composure and concentration, the players from Yaroslavl are quite capable of defeating Avtomobilist, Avangard, CSKA, SKA and Jokerit. The current champions are part of this cohort of top clubs, and will definitely approach the match with the utmost seriousness.
"Ak Bars"
The victory in the Gagarin Cup last season put a target on the backs of the hockey players from Kazan. Opponents are preparing and analyzing upcoming meetings in much more detail. The outsiders and the middle guys try to beat the champion and give their best on the ice. This happened on September 26, when the Leopards disgraced themselves by losing to Kunlun at home arena. However, then things went more successfully and the last match with Dynamo Moscow brought a third victory in a row.
Hockey that Moscow evening was terribly boring and lacking in events. The Kazan team shot on target 16 times over three periods. For example, Lokomotiv scored 15 shots in the dry opening twenty minutes. But Ak Bars took important points from Moscow and moved closer to the leaders. Even coaching staff It is clear without forecasts and analytics that such a game in Yaroslavl will not help. Need to add urgently.
Match statistics: “Lokomotiv” - “Ak Bars”
Guests celebrate triumphs more often, but if you do not take into account the “freight trains”, then the hosts will already have a significant statistical advantage.
“Lokomotiv” sometimes needs to stop and slow down in order to avoid ridiculous mistakes. Lack of experience and love for bright and open hockey are taking its toll. The team is progressing, especially the young talents, and this is already a serious fighting unit. But “Ak Bars”, although winning, is in lousy condition. Recent performances simply force us to leave a forecast against the Kazan team. The home team's victory seems obvious in every respect, and we can only hope that there will be no incidents.
Forecast - P1 including OT and shootouts for 1,79 along the line
Rates: individual total of "Napoli" is more than 1.5 for 2.10, victory of "Napoli" with a handicap of "0" for 2.15 in BC "Fonbet" ().
The series of important battles in Group C continues, and today we will witness the second series of the Italian-French confrontation. PSG did not impress on their home field in the first battle, but saved themselves in the end with the help of Di Maria’s signature goal.
Based on the game, the Neapolitans looked like a confident team, clearly implementing the coach’s plan, but most of Tuchel’s ideas simply failed. The lack of serious resistance in the domestic championship developed a sense of imposingness in the Parisians, which the guests regularly took advantage of, including pressing in the opposing half.
Of course, much will depend on Cavani's condition. At the time of writing the forecast, Edinson’s participation remained in doubt, and in key battles the importance of a center forward with fighting qualities and a killer instinct is difficult to overestimate. Now the French club is better prepared for the enemy and understands what to expect, but the strategic advantage is still on the side of Napoli, and the home field factor will give the hosts additional confidence.
PSG is only satisfied with a victory, but a peaceful outcome is not very pleasant for Napoli either. If Ancelotti believes in Liverpool's strength, then the hosts will probably be happy with a draw. With this outcome, the French will retain a very significant chance of leaving the group, but the situation will become critical. The draw in the bookmaker company Fonbet is estimated at odds of 3.65.
After four rounds, the table may look like Klopp's team with 9 points, the Neapolitans with 6, and the Parisians with 5. Then the Italian club will deal with Red Star at home, and Tuchel will have to play adventurous football against best team in the world for actions in counterattacks.
Accordingly, PSG needs to achieve a positive result today. The guests, of course, will do this by looking for chances in attack, leaving free zones in their own half. For Napoli, this is an excellent opportunity to actually secure a ticket to the playoffs.
The Parisians conceded 3 from Liverpool, 1 from Red Star and 2 in the first meeting with Napoli in France. Problems in defense cannot be solved in such a period of time; the full-backs will have to climb forward. The Neapolitans' total is more than 1.5 and the odds are higher than two. Definitely worth considering.
BC Fonbet continues to consider the richer club the favorite, setting a line based on the stardom of individual performers, and not on the level team game. Carlo Ancelotti's men are at least no weaker in transition phases and are a more manageable team. PSG suffered a draw at home, and achieving something more in Italy will be extremely difficult. A 0 handicap on Napoli is highly likely to bring either a return or a profit, and the solid odds are tempting to check out.
"Porto" - "Lokomotiv"
Rates:“Lokomotiv” will score for 1.70, “Lokomotiv” wins with a handicap of “+1.5” for 1.80 in BC “Fonbet” ().
Bookmakers' quotes for the confrontation between Porto and Lokomotiv are, frankly speaking, surprising. It is clear that the Portuguese club is the favorite of the group, has a more expensive and skilled squad, and the “railroad workers” had many problems, but Yuri Pavlovich is gradually finding the necessary rails for his locomotive.
In the RPL, the red-greens have a streak of five victories, and after the defeat in the third round of the Champions League, Lokomotiv scored 10 goals in the next three matches. The opponents were not the most high level, however, it is extremely important for football players to get a taste of scored goals and establish mutual understanding in attack.
Based on the score, it may seem that Porto won confidently in Moscow. But if you delve into your memory, you immediately see episodes with a missed penalty, a canceled goal and some killer moments when even Casillas could not have saved the then guests.
For a goal by the “railroad workers” in BC “Fonbet” they give 1.70. Perhaps we won’t split hairs and take this bet. Sergio Conceicao built a good defense, but nothing more. Semin will have to do without Smolov and, possibly, Farfan. However, red-green fans have much more reason for optimism, since the Miranchuk brothers are in excellent shape.
Two young talents have excellent technique, dribbling, they open up perfectly, and now also in terms of physics they demonstrate optimal condition. The Portuguese conceded in Cherkizovo, allowed Schalke to score, and Galatasaray could well have scored at Dragao.
Kverkvelia will miss the match due to a red card, and Chorluka is only recovering from an injury and is unlikely to feel ideal. But this is Lokomotiv’s last chance to catch at least the Europa League, and therefore anyone who is capable of making a difference will definitely come out to fight for the club. The honor and prestige of the club are at stake here, so we have the right to expect a worthy result from the “railroad workers”.
Bookmaker Fonbet believes in the hosts so much that the “+1.5” handicap on the red-greens is valued at a very decent coefficient. Semin’s team will definitely show character, and they definitely won’t be ashamed of it. ( .)
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