Vyacheslav Chanov, the former coach of CSKA Moscow, commented on the current state of the Russian Premier League standings after the army club’s 1-0 loss to Krasnodar in the 18th round. He suggested that the picture of the table is not yet settled and that predicting the final outcome would be premature. His remarks, relayed by Euro-Football.Ru, reflected a belief that the season carries significant swings and that a team’s fate can change quickly with a few results in winter training and the spring sprint.
Chanov argued that steering CSKA back into the title race is still possible. Although the club dropped from the summit, he expressed optimism about improving the mood around the squad during the winter break. He pointed to the club’s recent misfortunes as a combination of bad luck and the difficulty of converting chances. In his view, the team has often been undone by late goals and squandered opportunities, and this pattern could be reversed with focused preparations and sharper finishing once the league resumes. The message was clear: the campaign remains open, and CSKA’s quality should eventually shine through if the squad can eliminate the small but costly mistakes that have haunted them in recent weeks.
The Krasnodar–CSKA clash took place at Krasnodar’s home ground, where a packed stadium witnessed a tense, goal-free first half before Eduard Spertsyan delivered a precise assist that set up Nikita Krivtsov for the decisive strike. Krasnodar controlled the tempo for long stretches, registering 12 attempts, with three finding the target and forcing CSKA’s goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev into purposeful action. The visitors, meanwhile, tested Matvey Safonov 17 times, with seven shots on target, underscoring a match where both sides created clear chances but failed to convert until the decisive moment. The scoreline did not reflect the balance of play at times, as CSKA showed periods of resilience but were unable to capitalize when it mattered most. This result tightened the race at the top and added another dramatic twist to a season defined by narrow margins and late surprises.
Krasnodar now heads the table with 38 points, extending their lead at the summit. They hold a slender two-point cushion over Zenit St. Petersburg, who occupy the second position as the reigning contenders press their case for a late surge. CSKA, by contrast, find themselves in eighth place with 28 points, a gap that will require a robust run of results to reclaim a top-tier position. The evolving standings reflect the volatility that has characterized this campaign, where a single result can redefine the ambitions of multiple clubs and alter the tone for the remainder of the season. As the competition moves forward, Krasnodar’s consistency and Zenit’s persistence will be tested against a field that remains crowded with ambition and the prospect of a late-season surge from several teams.
Post-match images and inside reports from Krasnodar showed staff and players reacting with visible emotion after the victory. The locker room atmosphere hinted at a renewed sense of purpose following the win, suggesting that the team is eager to translate their current form into sustained performance. For CSKA, the narrative centers on regrouping and rebuilding momentum during the winter period, with the emphasis on tightening defense, sharpening finishing, and restoring confidence across the squad. Both clubs understand that every match toward the tail end of the season carries outsized importance, and the outcome in Krasnodar served as a reminder that the race remains wide open for teams capable of capitalizing on fleeting chances and maintaining composure under pressure .