Rubin Kazan vs VfL Wolfsburg Match Preview
Rubin Kazan will welcome Wolfsburg to the Tsentralnyi Stadion with open arms. The Russian giants are unbeaten in the last six European home outings. This will be the first match up between the two clubs.
The Russians are not a team to be taken lightly. They have won the Russian Premier league title two years and running. Also, they scored a huge win over Barcelona at the Nuo Camp last October. Not to mention the majority of the football they play is in absolutely freezing conditions.
Kazan is heated up and ready for this match. They just defeated their arch rival CSKA Moscow 1-0 to claim the Russian Super Cup title. This club will look to expand their success beyond Russia and into European glory. Kasaev and Gokdeniz will look to create space and opportunity pushing the ball down the flanks. Bukharov should try to get involved early and make a sudden impact on the game. Semak is a player who will always draw attention. The team will look to him for guidance and leadership on the pitch. The Russians will miss their vital center back Roman Sharonov who will be out of action for six months. Also, the departure of Chori Dominguez (player of the season in the Premier League) has raised questions about Kazan's ability to maintain a dynamic offensive unit.
Wolfsburg is coming into this fixture with an absolute thrashing of German opposition Bochum 4-1. Sascha Riether had impressive debut filling in for Andrea Barzagli who was out with a rib injury. Obafemi Martins saw his first minutes under the German boss Kostner. He got involved and finished the day with his name on the score sheet. The Paraguayan, Johathan Santana stole the show. A man who had only seen 100 minutes all season came on the 85th minute and hit a wonder strike to seal the deal for Wolfsburg. This emergence up front came with a price. Grafite didn't return for the second half due to adductor problems.
The Wolves would like to get out of this match up unscathed. Unfortunately, they have had many problems in the back line this season, conceding 45 goals in the Bundesliga. If anything, Wolfsburg has shown that they possess great resilience. They can come from behind and still make an impact on the game. If Grafite is fit, watch for him and Dzeko to put pressure on Kazans back line. The Russians will be drawing on home support and sub zero, cold hearted play to bury their opponents.
