We have looked ahead to the upcoming matchday 11 fixtures in the Russian Premier Liga to pick out the key points to watch out for.

Rubin Kazan vs Lokomotiv Moscow: Markus Gisdol’s first match in charge of Lokomotiv

All eyes will be on the Ak Bars Arena to see how the Russian Premier Liga’s newest managerial appointment gets on. Lokomotiv could do with a boost after three matches without a win and a slide down to fourth in the table, so there will be precious little time for Markus Gisdol to settle in comfortably, especially now Rubin are back at their World Cup home ground after the new pitch was granted RPL status.

Rubin have to pick themselves up fast too. Three straight defeats is an unthinkable run for Leonid Slutsky’s side that came so close to Champions League football in the summer, and that were second in the table after four matchdays. All is not lost of course; we still have two-thirds of the league campaign to go, and it isn’t as if Rubin struggle for goals - just two sides have scored more than one more than them.

So how will Gisdol approach his RPL baptism? One might be tempted to think safety first would make sense, but is it riskier to tempt fate or to go for the jugular? Will he put his trust in the youngsters breaking into the side, or will he opt for a more experienced lineup? His career has brought plenty of experience overseeing the development of youth so one might expect to see a similar vein to his first Lokomotiv team selection; in the likes of Alexis Beka Beka, Tino Anjorin, Konstantin Maradishvili and Nair Tiknizyan, he certainly has plenty of such summer signings to work with.

Although five places separate the two sides, a Rubin win would suddenly see them leapfrog the Railroaders in one fell swoop, such is the unforgiving nature of the RPL table. On the other hand, by the end of the weekend, Lokomotiv could be back in the Champions League places, which would give Gisdol instant respect. Exactly which side of the German head coach we end up seeing remains to be seen, but it isn’t to be missed.

Spartak Moscow vs Dynamo Moscow: Capital gains - but for whom?

The classic Moscow derby needs little historical introduction, but each new edition brings with it an entirely new character. This latest edition will provide Rui Vitoria with his first home Moscow clash since taking over, and a chance to continue the gently improving winning streak. There’s no escaping that his early path has been a little bumpy in the results column, but it is starting to look a more solid machine.

Spartak undoubtedly hold the upper hand in recent encounters. In the last 13 league derbies against Dynamo, they have lost just once (W9, D3 in other 12 clashes). There are a few key figures who will be out of action though. Nail Umyarov hobbled off for Russia under-21s in the midweek win away to Lithuania, while Quincy Promes is also a doubtful with knee trouble. Add to that question marks over the fitness of Ezequiel Ponce, Roman Zobnin and Jordan Larsson, and the options are already thinning. Aleksandr Sobolev will almost certainly lead the line, and he loves playing Dynamo; he has never lost to them in the league in his professional career, and has won both games he’s played against them for Spartak, having a direct hand in three goals in those matches.

There are plenty of quirks about Dynamo taking on Spartak though. The Blue-Whites have picked up all of their last five RPL wins in the fixture away from home, while just four of the last 21 league derbies between them have been won by the home side. After 10 matchdays in this RPL campaign, no side has won more than Dynamo’s four away games either.

It is hard enough catching Zenit St. Petersburg in a title race at the best of times, but to watch them unexpectedly drop points last time and suffer a shock defeat themselves will be tough to take. A thumping derby win would be the perfect tonic - easier said than done though.

Sochi vs Rostov: Can Rostov get the record-breaking monkey off their back?

Undoubtedly the main beneficiaries of the shock results last matchday were Sochi, as their stunning win over leaders Zenit, coupled with surprise defeats for Dynamo and Lokomotiv and a goalless draw between CSKA and Krasnodar, meant they were the only top-six side to actually win. After two consecutive defeats, one ideal weekend has sent them right back up to third, one point behind the Champions League spots.

To drive it home is the real challenge. The competitive levels of this season are even higher, with all but Zenit dropping points at least four times already after just 10 matches. With Rostov in town, there is double spice added though. Firstly, there is the obvious geographical rivalry; but secondly, there is the epic recent history. In their last two home meetings against Rostov, Sochi broke the RPL scoring record with a thumping 10-1 win, then followed up by a meaty 4-2 win last season.

Rostov would have come into this clash bottom of the whole RPL pile had they not shocked Lokomotiv 2-1 away at the RZD Arena on the last matchday. Dmitry Poloz’s late winner salvaged what was only their second win of the season to lift them out of the bottom two, and grant a brief sigh of relief. One more three-point swing, and they will be well within reach of mid-table safety.

Much as it will be tempting to look up the table in this way, the pressure is still far from over. They have let in exactly two goals per league game - more than anyone else so far - and Zaur Tedeev is still finding his way as head coach. There’s nothing like an underdog element to spring a surprise though.

Ural vs CSKA: Resurgent Ural roll into stubborn Armymen with a point to prove

It is remarkable what three weeks can do to a team's prospects. After matchday seven, Ural were as good as dead and buried; bottom of the table, just two goals scored, and not a single win to their name. 

Fast forward to this segment of the campaign and they are suddenly out of the relegation zone and enjoying a three-match unbeaten run. Eric Bicfalvi has finally got off the mark in front of goal, scoring in the last two, while the side are on their longest run of clean sheets in almost two years. 

There is one problem though; they have a major obstacle in their way this weekend, as CSKA have won 13 of the last 16  meetings against the Ekaterinburg outfit. Not only that, but Aleksey Berezutsky's side have not even conceded a single goal in the last six league clashes, winning five of them. In fact, Ural's last top-flight win over CSKA came over a quarter of a century ago. 

To make matters worse for the hosts, CSKA have also tightened up at the back with a three-match clean sheet streak. Holding a faltering Lokomotiv to a goalless draw a few weeks back is one thing; repeating the feat against a CSKA full of momentum is quite another. 

Photo: Lokomotiv, Alexander Stupnikov / Spartak