Spartak Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow will meet on Sunday in a Moscow Derby. The two Russian rivals have high hopes this season and whichever team claims a win could be spurred on to a title fight with Zenit.
Lokomotiv Moscow finished second last season in the Russian Premier League, 14 points off of winners Zenit. They have started the new season well collecting seven points from nine possible and sit third.
Spartak Moscow are seventh and, like Loko, are unbeaten this season. However, the Meat have collected five points from nine possible. Spartak Moscow finished in seventh place last season which was a disappointing end to the campaign based on their expectations.
Lokomotiv Moscow have kept matches low scoring this season. They have scored only four times across three matches while conceding one goal. That one goal was allowed in midweek as they had to come from behind to draw with Ural.
Spartak Moscow have also kept matches low scoring. They have posted a +2-goal difference with five goals tallied and three allowed. They too had to come from behind for a draw in midweek versus Ufa.
Last season’s Moscow Derbies ended with Spartak Moscow claiming four points from six available. They won away to Lokomotiv Moscow 3-0 before drawing 1-1 at home against their derby rival.
The last seven matches in all competitions between the clubs ended in positive results for Spartak Moscow. Three of those seven games ended in wins for the Meat.
Spartak Moscow’s Ezequiel Ponce is a player to watch on Sunday. He scored in both games versus Lokomotiv Moscow last term and goes into the weekend with two league goals in three games.
Not to be outdone, Ponce’s teammate Jordan Larsson scored twice in Spartak Moscow’s 3-0 win versus Loko last season. He too has two goals for Spartak Moscow this term. The goalscoring duo has accounted for 80% of Spartak Moscow’s goals. The club need others to step up in the final third.
Lokomotiv Moscow do have a goalscorer of their own to watch out for. Aleksey Miranchuk has bagged two goals. He has accounted for 50% of Lokomotiv Moscow’s scoring in 2020-21.
So, which team will claim first blood in the Moscow Derby? Based on recent history, Sunday’s game is likely to finish in a score draw. Four of the last seven games between the clubs finished in stalemates. Expect Sunday’s match to be another score draw between the long-time rivals.
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