It's the battle of who can avoid the banana skin this weekend in the Russian Premier League as the three leading teams, separated by just two points, face lowly opponents.
Leaders Zenit St. Peterburg, on 49 points, host a Tom Tomsk side looking to halt their rotten run of form with a new manager, but Zenit will have one eye on next Wednesday's Champions League match against Porto.
European distractions are also a threat for CSKA, who are locked with Dinamo Moscow on 47 points and play Volga Nizhny Novgorod at home. CSKA welcome Inter Milan - complete with new coach Claudio Ranieri - in Moscow on Tuesday.
Second-placed Dinamo travel to second-from-bottom Krylya Sovietov on the back of an extra-time 1-0 victory over Anzhi Makhachkala in the Russian Cup on Wednesday - and without the concern of European competition.
Of the three leaders, Dinamo are the form side, winning their last three with clean sheets. Midfielder Igor Semshov remains seemingly irrepressible, scoring nine in his last 10 games; and former Liverpool forward Andrei Voronin has hit four in his last five.
Meanwhile, Lokomotiv Moscow and Rubin Kazan face off in the battle to join the leading pack. Lokomotiv, joint fourth with Spartak Moscow on 42 points, are on an unbeaten run of eight league matches and 13 in all competitions, including a surprise 4-2 thrashing of leaders Zenit earlier this month. The streak started with the appointment of Jose Couceiro as manager in June.
Rubin, in eighth, are in wretched league form, losing their last two and winning just once in their last five. A win over Amkar Perm 2-0 in the Russian Cup on Wednesday lifted their spirits somewhat.
Spartak enter a new era after parting with veteran midfielder Andrei Tikhonov last week. The 40-year-old was the last player in the current squad from Spartak's golden generation that won the title nine times in 10 years in the 1990s. Tikhonov started the move that led to one of Spartak's goals in a 3-0 win over Krylya Sovietov.
Spartak take a nine-game unbeaten league run to ninth-placed Krasnodar, but come off a midweek humiliation in the cup at the hands of Volga Nizhny Novgorod on penalties.
The final match of the weekend sees Samuel Eto'o's Anzhi face Terek Grozny in a North Caucasus derby.
In other games, Spartak Nalchik play FC Kuban, and Amkar Perm travel to Rostov.
