The Russian Premier League moves into matchday 2 this weekend and Dynamo Moscow are aiming for a second straight win to begin the campaign.
Manager Kirill Novikov led Dynamo Moscow to a 2-0 win over Ural on matchday 1. Striker Clinton N’Jie scored in first-half and Sylvester Igboun doubled the score in the second half to send Dynamo Moscow on the way to victory.
Rotor Volgograd were not so lucky on matchday 1 as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg. The Blues are in their first season in the Russian Premier League after earning promotion from the Russian National League.
Manager Alyaksandr Khatskevich has a difficult task on his hands this season. He will attempt to keep Rotor Volgograd in the top flight. However, coming off of a clean sheet loss to Zenit St. Petersburg, he has to take his team to Moscow to play Dynamo.
Dynamo Moscow ended the 2019-20 season in sixth place. They just qualified for the Europa League ahead of city rival Spartak Moscow. However, they still ended the campaign 11 points off a Champions League qualifying place.
Novikov watched his side collect 15 shots on matchday 1. They also won 58.3% of aerials against Ural and should once again dominate when balls are played through the air.
Former Lyon, Tottenham Hotspur and Marseille forward N’Jie struggled to make an impact at any of his three previous clubs. A move to Dynamo Moscow hasn’t turned him into a goal scorer either. N’Jie may have scored on matchday 1, but has only tallied two goals in 20 games in Russian Premier League play.
In early August, Dynamo Moscow signed Igboun permanently from Ufa. His signing has already paid off as Igboun scored on matchday 1 to seal the club’s win.
Igboun’s signing could turn out to be a coup for Dynamo Moscow. He scored 25 goals for former club Ufa in 108 games. He was on loan to Dynamo Moscow for the second half of last season and scored twice in 21 games.
Rotor Volgograd kept just 37% of possession on matchday 1 versus Zenit. They did tally 11 shots. They should get a few chances versus Dynamo Moscow, but ultimately come up short.
Saturday’s game could see Rotor Volgograd get their first goal in the Russian Premier League. However, Dynamo Moscow should win with both teams scoring and over 2.5 goals tallied. N’Jie and/or Igboun could once again power the capital club to victory.