Chelyabinsk vs Yenisey

Both sides arrive at this fixture needing points for very different reasons. Chelyabinsk sit 15th with just 8 points from 11 rounds, uncomfortably close to the relegation zone, while Yenisey are tenth on 13 points and eyeing the playoff pack above them. Early as it is, three points here matter to both. Form tells contrasting stories. Chelyabinsk have struggled for results, needing a stoppage-time leveler from Ramazan Gadzhimuradov to draw 1-1 at KAMAZ after a 1-0 loss to Spartak Kostroma. Yenisey look sharper, bouncing back from a 4-0 mauling by Rotor with a 3-1 win over Arsenal Tula, Andrey Okladnikov scoring twice and Alexander Nadolsky adding another. The recent head-to-head favors the visitors. Last season the sides drew 0-0 in Chelyabinsk before Yenisey won 3-0 on home soil, suggesting they hold a psychological edge heading into this one. Our prediction: 1-1