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Matt (@MattTidcombe) – Sports journalist, Rubin fan and team correspondent
Manuel (@homosovieticus) – PhD Student with focus on Soviet history and football, as well as blogger at Futbolgrad.com (@futbolgradlive)
Ashraff (@serapdesengal) – A Loko supporter and student in Moscow
Xavier (@AxeMurderer60) – French Russian football fan and CSKA supporter
John (@JohnSager) – Russian Football follower, Zenit supporter, California resident
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1) How do you rate each club’s chances of advancing from their group?
Matt: I think it’s safe to assume Rubin will definitely get out of the group as they got the easiest draw. They were a ‘top seed’ so that should be expected too. Anzhi should make it through, based solely on the fact that the other two teams in their group are poor aside from Tottenham, who will win the group. Krasnodar have a tough group though. Valencia will definitely advance, but that second spot will no doubt come down to either Swansea or Kuban. It really is a toss up. The two games where they face off will likely decide who advances.
Manuel: Kuban will struggle in their group and probably finish behind Valencia and Swansea. With Anzhi it depends on how the club will put its priorities, if they field their strongest squad they should be able to finish second behind Tottenham. Rubin is the favorite in Group D and should easily finish first in a group where the strongest opponent is playing in the English second division.
Ashraff: Rubin will have the brightest chance to qualify, given their easy group compared to the others. Not much chance for Anzhi, crossed fingers for an away victory against Sheriff and hope to at least snatch a draw in Norway from Tromsø. Kuban will more likely gain experience, but with their form and confidence I have no doubt to put my money on them beating St Gallen. Swansea is a bit of their own mirror in the Premier League.
Xavier: The most experienced club is Rubin Kazan, and is also the club that I see will go further in the competition. Kuban can hope to have some good games, but it will be complicated. It’s their first European competition. As for Anzhi, I don’t know what will happen. It’s complete confusion, but there are a few reasons to be pessimistic if we refer to their position in the League.
John: Rubin are a lock to advance. Rubin are experienced in this competition and will strive to win it. They should hold up at home well, and get points (and wins) in away games. Rubin is contender to win the entire tournament in my opinion.
Anzhi are somehow now in a relegation dogfight. It is a shame that the team that could have been so fun to watch play in the Europa League is disbanded before it ever really gelled. I think Anzhi do not advance. They will drop too many points to Sheriff and Tromsø as their focus will be on a relegation dogfight.
Kuban Krasnodar should not just be happy to be in the Europa League, but should fight to advance out of the group. An excellent squad with an amazing transfer policy, I expect Kuban to get draws or better away in multiple games which should push them ahead into the second place. It will be tough against Swansea City and Valencia, but I would rate Kuban at 70% chance to advance.
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Rubin are favored by all of our experts to advance.
2) Should Anzhi field their strongest XI in the Europa League, or focus on the domestic league, where they’re currently 14th?
Matt: Yes, of course they should field their best side. Look, their struggles are well documented and they aren’t exactly being portrayed in a positive manner right now. The last thing they want is to field a second XI, get embarrassed again, and be left to struggle in the league. The Europa League is also an alley to get away from their domestic troubles and should be used to win games.
Manuel: Honestly, at this point I don’t think it would matter. Anzhi will remain in the bottom third of the league no matter what, although I doubt Anzhi will be relegated. Europa League could provide the only highlight of an otherwise shocking season.
Ashraff: Yes and no. I would love to see Anzhi do well in Europe, but when you saw the shuffle in the starting line up last Sunday and how they performed, I would rather see Anzhi focus on surviving for another season. A decent team they have in their ranks, but we could not avoid the fact that the team need to gel well, not till the winter break perhaps.
Xavier: They have to focus on the domestic League, the Europa League would be too complicated. There have been too many changes in the team since the beginning of the season.
John: Anzhi has already given up on the Europa League before group play has begun. Use this opportunity to develop players and allow the recently upheaved squad to gel. Take advantage of the games, but after a draw to Tom, there are clearly more important matters than Europe.
3) Who’s the key player for Kuban in leading them to the knockout rounds?
Matt: I think it’s Djibril Cisse. At the end of the day, goals will get you into the next round and Cisse has gotten off to a good start for Kuban. If he continues that form then Kuban have a shot to get out of the group. If Cisse fails to notch many goals, Kuban may well find themselves going home early.
Manuel: Definitely Djibril Cisse, a player with his experience is invaluable to Kuban.
Ashraff: Ivelin Popov. He was all over for them, scoring good goals in process. Formed an undisputed partnership with Balde up front, he looks sharp to head Kuban. Another vital point in the team will be Belenov. Well, against the likes of Valencia you cannot deny that your goal will definitely be assaulted with shots and attempts, and at this time you need Belenov to perform his best.
John: Amongst the comings and goings in Krasnodar there is a constant – Charles Kaboré. He is key to Kuban’s transitions and their fulcrum in the midfield.
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Popov and Cisse – two forwards that will be key for Kuban in Europe.
4) Rubin reached the quarterfinals last season, before falling to Chelsea. How far will they go this season?
Matt: I wrote in my ‘Rubin on the Rise’ piece last week that Rubin should be looking to win this tournament. I believe they can but they have to score goals. It’s been a big problem of theirs all season long in the league, but they’ve found the back of the net with regularity in the Europa League qualifying. It’d be huge for Russian football if Rubin can go all the way, but I’m going to say they make it to the semis this year, which in itself is a great achievement.
Manuel: Rubin will easily finish first in their group after that it really depends on the draw. I think that the round of 16 is a definite possibility. After that it is again the luck of the draw. At that stage Rubin could be drawn against a big club and the journey very well be over.
Ashraff: They will definitely survive their group, but the problem is that the Europa League is a massive competition. In the knockout round you can meet even the stronger likes of Tottenham, Valencia and Lyon. Last time, the draw favored them in the second round against Levante, and a strong away performance gave them victory against the mighty Atletico. Let’s hope Berdiev will solve the goal problem, luck out on the draw and an in-form Ryzhikov will bring Rubin forward. They always remind me of the Zenit side who won it. They have so much quality, but people who don’t know the RPL don’t give much attention to them.
Xavier: This will depend on the teams they will face, but with luck, they may once again reach the quarter finals without problems. They are very strong defensively, and they can score on their 1st and only shot in a game (like they did with Atletico Madrid last season).
John: A lot depends on the draw and who drops down from the Champions League, but I see Rubin as contenders to win the Europa League. The key factor will be how Rubin comes back after the layoff in the winter break while other clubs are still in playing form. I see the quarterfinals again where Rubin will be, with a chance to win the trophy.
5) Which specific Europa League match are you most looking forward to and why?
Matt: I’m looking forward to both games between Kuban and Swansea. Both matches are going to mean so much in finding out which side likely gets into the knockout stages and that will undoubtably provide excitement for fans.
Manuel: Anzhi versus Tottenham is my definite favorite here. Since I am London based I might even try to go to the match. A few months ago I would have marveled at seeing Eto’o, etc. Still this should be a great match.
Ashraff: Kuban-Valencia. Good experience for the team,against a top club in a top league. A big game for the crowd, expect the whole Krasnodar crowd to move the team forward. Really nice. In my heart I hope they will win that day. It will be a joy for the whole nation.
Xavier: St. Gallen – Kuban, because I want to see how the players and Kuban staff approach this game, which will be their 1st group stage match ever. But I will look at Maribor – Rubin Kazan also.
John: Kuban v. Valencia. This is a tie, between a Spanish club outside the top four and a team on the rise in Russia and I think it will be an intriguing and unpredictable match. It will be a litmus test for how good of a team Kuban really is.
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Kuban Stadium will be rocking this fall for the Europa League.