A draw between equal rivals? Rubin fails to beat RPL underdog after successes against giants

Rubin traveled as the favorite

Two consecutive victories in the championship against Krasnodar (2:1) and Lokomotiv (3:0) raised expectations for Kazan's Rubin. Frank Artiga's team approached the game in Samara against Krylia Sovetov as the clear favorite, especially since Samara was in the relegation play-off zone, sitting in 14th place in the standings.

However, ahead of the away match, the Rubin coach once again warned everyone against underestimating the opponent. Artiga, after the victory over Lokomotiv, had already called for not getting carried away, and now added that recent successes might be linked to the euphoria from the winter changes.

Perhaps the Spaniard looked at the teams' head-to-head statistics. Rubin hasn't won in Samara for over a decade. The last time Kazan won away against Krylia Sovetov was back in 2014, during Rinat Bilyaletdinov's era. Interestingly, the hosts have been performing well at home overall this season. By the start of the match, Krylia's unbeaten home streak was six games in a row. Magomed Adiev's team hadn't lost at home since the end of September.

This is largely why the current match was even more important for Artiga's Rubin than the games against the leading Krasnodar and Lokomotiv. Firstly, it is emotionally harder to prepare for an underdog opponent. Secondly, if the club aims to compete for medals next season, they must, above all, beat teams from the lower part of the table.

First half belongs to Rubin

Compared to the game against Lokomotiv, Rubin's lineup underwent minimal changes. Bogdan Jočić, who played on the attacking flank, lost his starting spot. He was replaced by forward Jacques Sive, who missed the previous match due to suspension. The Frenchman took the position of the sole striker, while Nazmi Gripshi was set to play on the wing. If Artiga played without a pure striker against Lokomotiv, he decided to abandon that tactic against Krylia Sovetov.

The start of the match belonged to the visitors. Kazan preferred to build their attacks on the right. In the first ten minutes of the meeting, Ruslan Bezrukov managed to earn two dangerous free kicks, but his teammates couldn't capitalize on these set pieces. Overall, the team managed to control the ball, and Artiga often nodded approvingly from the touchline.

Krylia relied on quick counter-attacks. But from the 12th minute, they seized the initiative. Long-range shots from Ilzat Akhmetov and Sergey Babkin looked promising — but missed. Meanwhile, Samara managed to shut down the visitors in the center of the field. To move forward in attack, Rubin had to resort to long balls towards Sive, as if the team had returned to the Rashid Rakhimov era. However, a counter-attacking style inherently involves such clearances from defense.

In the mixed zone after the match, Bezrukov stated that Krylia's defensive adjustments affected his activity on the right flank. Looking ahead, Rubin's wing play only worked in the first minutes of the match, then its effectiveness dropped to nearly zero.

— At first, we managed to do what we worked on in training. I tried to find opportunities based on these instructions. But I must credit Krylia; they adjusted during the game and started blocking my opportunities on the flank, — Bezrukov said in a conversation with a Realnoe Vremya correspondent.

The game continued in the same pattern until halftime. Rubin wastefully squandered several more opportunities from free kicks, while the hosts managed to break forward towards Evgeny Staver's goal a couple of times unsuccessfully.

Zeroes on the scoreboard

The second half began with several interesting approaches to Rubin's penalty area. Samara attacked in bursts. In one episode, the referee flagged offside; in another, it ended with a fruitless corner.

Rubin couldn't get anything going. The opponent blocked the center of the field, preventing Daler Kuzyaev from turning. He was eventually substituted in the middle of the half by Ignacio Saavedra Nacho, who is capable of launching attacks from deep. Activity on the wings also waned. Gripshi faded out of the game, leaving no mark except for a couple of taken free kicks. Artiga substituted him with Daniil Kuznetsov.

With Kuznetsov's introduction, Rubin's shots-on-target column changed from zero. In the 79th minute, Kuznetsov moved towards the center and took a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper was in position.

In the remaining time, the stadium erupted a couple of times in bursts of emotion, reacting to the home team's attacking moves. Samara couldn't score, and neither could Rubin. Judging by the final minutes, Kazan should be satisfied with the result.

Artiga already counting points: seven out of nine

The match against Krylia Sovetov left a mixed impression. After victories over top teams, a continuation of the winning streak was expected in Samara. Instead, the team delivered an unimpressive performance against an underdog. At the press conference, Artiga cited the difficulties faced against such a motivated opponent.

— We came here for three points. Unfortunately, we couldn't extend the winning streak. It was an even game. We knew the difficult position the opponent was in the standings; they fought until the end. In general, we have to say we are satisfied with the result. In three tough matches, we earned seven out of nine points. During the international break, we need to reflect on this spring segment, — a Realnoe Vremya correspondent quotes Artiga.

But on the other hand, Rubin has always struggled in away matches against Krylia Sovetov. Additionally, Adiev's team focuses on playing in front of their home fans. Meanwhile, Samara extended their unbeaten home streak to seven consecutive matches.

Returning to Rubin, it's worth noting that the initial spring segment under Artiga has been mixed. Answers to many important questions, including future prospects, remain up in the air. Major changes, compared to the Rakhimov era, are not yet evident.

After the 22nd round, the RPL goes on a break due to international matches and will return in April. Rubin will play its next game on April 6 in Sochi against the local team. Kick-off is at 7:30 PM.