Rubin Kazan vs Panathinaikos preview - Kornilenko seeks six-point return

Posted Tuesday, November 02, 2010 by PA

Russian champions Rubin Kazan have to take maximum points from their next two Champions League games in order to keep their qualification hopes alive, according to striker Sergei Kornilenko.

With just two points from their opening three Group D games, Kurban Berdyev's men need to pick up wins against Panathinaikos and FC Copenhagen in three weeks to go into their final group game at Barcelona with a chance of progressing.

"We want six points from these games, but even if we succeed qualification will probably not be in our hands," Kornilenko told www.uefa.com.

"We are no worse than Panathinaikos and we can beat them, especially with our fans behind us."

The 27-year-old scored his first two goals for Rubin since his loan move from Zenit St Petersburg in the 2-0 win at PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara on Friday, the first goal ending the club's 304-minute drought, and he hopes that he can continue his form against Panathinaikos.

"It was a relief (to score)," he said. "To start with, I lacked a little understanding with my team-mates, sometimes luck and sometimes the right skills. Rubin really expected goals when they took me on loan, so now I feel much better."

Rubin have won their last seven games at home in the league and are looking to go a ninth game unbeaten, but will have to chase the points without Roman Sharonov who has a season-ending knee injury.

Panathinaikos, who like Rubin are well adrift of the other two sides in the group, sit bottom on one point, but go into the fixture boosted by Saturday's 2-1 derby win over Olympiakos.

A brace from France striker Djibril Cisse, who now has seven goals this season, was enough to earn Panathinaikos a come-from-behind win, and they travel to Russia needing just two more goals to bring up 300 in European competition.

Gilberto Silva is back from a ban and Cedric Kante should be okay to play after returning from a hand injury at the weekend, but there are injury doubts over Sebastian Leto (knee) and Sotiris Ninin (foot).