CSKA Moscow's victory in Spain will inspire Rubin when they face Wolfsburg on Thursday for a place in the Europa League quarterfinals, the Russian champions' coach Kurban Berdyev said on Wednesday.
The Tatarstan side travel to Germany after a 1-1 draw in Kazan and will hope they can match CSKA's success against Sevilla. The former Red Army club also drew 1-1 in the first leg, but reached the Champions League quarterfinals with an impressive 2-1 away win on Tuesday.
"I am happy that CSKA won," Berdyev said at a news conference on the eve of his side's game against the German champions. "This is an extremely important step for Russian football in general. And we wish every success to CSKA in the latter stages of the Champions League."
"CSKA's victory inspires us, but we are ourselves ready for the struggle," the notoriously taciturn trainer said.
CSKA finished second in their Champions League qualifying group, a place above Wolfsburg, but opened their campaign with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Germans. Rubin came third in their group behind Barcelona and Inter Milan, but famously beat the European champions 2-1 in Spain.
Berdyev said Rubin's experienced captain Sergei Semak would miss the game through injury, but praised the Wolfsburg pitch as a factor that would allow his side to showcase their quality.
"A good field is an aid to good football, so we are also set up to show good football. Certainly, the transition from one pitch to another has its difficulties, but I do not think they will be crucial," he said.
Rubin are undefeated in five games this year, but away from the dreadful surface of their home field have only scored one goal, albeit in winning the Russian Super Cup 1-0 against CSKA on the artificial turf of Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
MOSCOW, March 17 (RIA Novosti)
