The culmination of a crazy championship: will Dynamo interrupt the hegemony of Zenit?

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Ahead of the two final rounds of the Russian Premier League (RPL) of the 2023/24 season, correspondent Sports studies the layouts and talks about the upcoming matches of the three teams vying for victory in the national championship.

RPL tournament table

The day that 48 years have been waiting for

• Dynamo's remaining matches: “Wings of the Soviets” (May 18/home), “Krasnodar” (May 25/away).

It seemed like it was all over. That Dynamo will not take advantage of Zenit’s defeat from CSKA and will sensationally lose to Baltika in Kaliningrad. But they equalized, they even won! The score 1:2 turned into 3:2 at the very end — so the Muscovites single-handedly took first place in the standings two rounds before the finish of the RPL.

What do Marcel Lička’s boys need to bring gold to Petrovsky Park for the first time since 1976? Only four points in the home match with the “wings” and the potentially “golden” match with Krasnodar — if the points are equal, Zenit will not overtake Dynamo. After all, the “blue-white-blues” lost both matches in a season to Muscovites for the first time in history.

The end of St. Petersburg hegemony?

• Remaining Zenit matches: Akhmat (May 19/away), Rostov (May 25/home).

Never since 2019 ( it was then that Sergei Semak’s team began to rule in Russia) the champion was not so close to falling from the throne. After the first home defeat to CSKA in 13 years, the gap to Dynamo became two points — now the situation is not in the hands of Zenit, it completely depends on the potential misfire of the Muscovites.

Hence the conclusion: the blue-white-blues, who are on a roll after reaching the super final of the Russian Cup, need to score six points out of six possible (although St. Petersburg has the most difficult schedule of the three). And, of course, count on a gift from “Wings” and/or a victory for “Krasnodar” over the leader in the final round.

A happiness was so possible…

• Remaining matches of Krasnodar: Sochi (May 18/away), Dynamo (May 25/home).

In November, “Krasnodar” made a serious bid for a sensation: under the leadership of Vladimir Ivich, who was fired during the season, the “bulls” completed the first round of the RPL as a leader, two points ahead of the St. Petersburgers… However, then everything fell apart. In the last ten rounds of the RPL, the players of the returning Murad Musaev won only three victories and fell back to third place. A miracle is possible, but for this to happen many factors must come into play: the misfires of Zenit and Dynamo plus a victory over the leader on May 25.

By the way, in case of equality of points, “Krasnodar” will be higher than Muscovites (in personal meetings).

There are more candidates for silver
They can interfere in the fight for medals» Lokomotiv and Spartak. The Moscow tops are breathing down the backs of the “bulls” and have a good calendar:

• the railway workers will play at home with «Torch» and on the road with «Baltika»;
• «red-white» will receive «Rubin» and fly to Orenburg.

However, there is no need to talk about the chances of becoming the champion of Russia. “Spartak” will never catch up with “Dynamo”, and “Lokomotiv”, if it wins both matches and the top three go all out, will still not become first. Indeed, in this situation, the Lichka team will still be ahead thanks to the greater number of points scored in personal meetings.