Stuttgart’s Russian international Pavel Pogrebnyak added approximately 20 rating points in the FTBL system after scoring the last goal in the Germans’ 3:1 home win over Unirea in the Champions League last night to claim the 3rd spot in the ranking of Russian strikers. Does he have a chance of further advancing?

Despite trailing # 2 Dmitri Sychev of Lokomotiv Moscow by more than 15 rating points at the moment, Pogrebnyak still has a good chance, given he will face a combined plank of just 3.3 rating points to beat in his next 2 games: to close that gap all he needs is one win.

But how easy will another win come to Stuttgart, who are trailing at the bottom of the table in the Bundesliga? This coming weekend they travel to No. 9 Mainz, and a week later they take on No. 6 1899 Hoffenheim, to whom they lost twice last season. Pogrebnyak, therefore, will have to put on a lot of personal effort (goals) if he is to challenge Sychev.