Nepomniachtchi called CSKA the favorite in the derby with Spartak

Russian coach Valery Nepomniachtchi hopes for CSKA to win in the match of the 28th round of the WORLD RPL against Spartak.

After 27 rounds of the MIR RPL, CSKA scored 54 points and ranks second in the standings, Spartak (50) is fourth.

– Of course, I would like CSKA to win. Still, winning the derby is a step towards second place. The team has now found the optimal line-up and built a good game in all lines, there are leaders, the team controls the ball well. Also, the team of Vladimir Fedotov has a balanced game in attack, those who are obliged to score score, but it happens that the players from the second line differ, which is a surprise for the opponent. The defense finally came to stability. Another would be to buy a couple of defenders – and then the army team can become the main competitor of Zenit next season. Therefore, my sympathies are on the side of the “red-blue”. CSKA is the favorite in the derby.

Nevertheless, Spartak also has a chance. Abascal’s team is unpredictable. They played with brilliance against Zenit, but then stumbled at Khimki. It is difficult to predict what to expect from them in the derby, Nepomniachtchi told RT.

The meeting between CSKA and Spartak will take place on Sunday at the home stadium of the Red-Whites. Watch the live broadcast of the game on the Match TV channel from 15:30 Moscow time, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.