Wednesday’s Champions League encounter AS Monaco vs CSKA Moscow could be decisive for the Russian champion. After a 1-1 draw on matchday 3 of the Champions League, CSKA are currently fourth in Group E.
With AS Monaco standing at five points, Tottenham at 4 points, and Bayer Leverkusen at three points, CSKA still have a chance to advance out of the group despite the fact that they have only managed two points thus far in the Champions League. Indeed, a victory in France would put CSKA Moscow right back into contention, as they would be even on points with Monaco, and would further hold the tiebreaker by beating Monaco.
Actually, CSKA could very well find themselves in second place after matchday 4, as the top sites expect Tottenham Hotspur to win their away match in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen. This would put the Russians firmly in the driver’s seat in the last two matches, which will see them hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the new Arena CSKA on matchday 5, before travelling to London to play Tottenham at Wembley on matchday 6.
Yet there are many ifs in this equation, as CSKA Moscow first need to get a result in Monaco. Given the club’s latest run of form, which included a crushing 3-1 defeat to Spartak Moscow on Saturday, and the fact that Slutsky has been heavily criticized by its fans for his perceived cowardly tactics, CSKA may very well not be in shape to truly challenge Monaco on Wednesday.
Before the group stage, Futbolgrad predicted that CSKA Moscow would finish third in Group E. But the first three rounds in Group E have suggested that the group is extremely competitive with no team clearly dominating any of the other teams. This would mean that CSKA are in a bit of a lottery, and a single slip could make the difference between qualifying for the round of 16 of the Champions League, the round of 32 of the Europa League, or to be eliminated altogether.
With CSKA Moscow not having completely convinced in the league, Slutsky may very well bank on international competitions to salvage the season. But to do this he will have to disembark from his conservative playing style.
This playing style in particular earned him high praise during last season, when his pragmatic approach guided the Russian national team to the European Championships, and also secured CSKA Moscow’s sixth Russian championship. But then, during the 2016 Euros in France, the wheels seemed to come off his tactic.
Too cautious up front, and too reliant on old defenders in the back, Russia was singled out as the worst team of the tournament. The tournament, in particular, did much to shake Slutsky’s image for the general fan of Russian football, and he has now become a target at CSKA as well, as many CSKA fans are fed up with the club’s boring football.
Whether he can turn things around remains questionable, as only a strong performance against Monaco and subsequent survival in Europe would truly silence the doubters. But Monaco might prove to be too strong for CSKA as the Ligue 1 side will be favourites on at the Stade Louis II on Wednesday.
Futbolgrad’s Prediction: AS Monaco vs CSKA Moscow 2-0
AS Monaco:
Formation: 4-3-3
Subasić – Sidibé, Glik, Jemerson, Touré – Bakayako, Silva, Fabinho – Mbappé, Falcao, Lemar
Manager: Leonardo Jardim
CSKA Moscow:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Akinfeev – Schennikov, V. Berezutski, Ignashevich, Mário Fernandes – Wernbloom, Natcho – Milanov, Golovin, Tosić – Traoré
Manager: Leonid Slutsky
COMMENTS