Eight matchdays before the end of the season, everything is still open in the Russian Premier League, especially in the title race. Zenit St. Petersburg remain at the top of the table after 22 matchdays, but three rivals from Moscow are breathing down their necks. Against one of the pursuers, a groundbreaking six-point game is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
The league leaders from St. Petersburg are guests of CSKA Moscow, the third-placed team in the Russian Premier League. As the odds comparison shows, the guests from the north-west of Russia are in the favourites’ role.
Odds of over 2.35 are offered for an away win for Zenit St. Petersburg against CSKA Moscow. Given the current form of the league leaders, a prediction on this will be risky, as Zenit St. Petersburg has only won one of their last four matches. Things have not gone better for the home side in Moscow in recent weeks.
Prediction & Live Odds for CSKA Moscow vs Zenit St. Petersburg 17/03/2021
Zenit can continue to keep one of the three pursuers at bay with an away win in Moscow and thus extend their lead in the standings. After a weak start to the new calendar year, the league leaders scored an important home win over Akhmat Grozny last week, putting an end to their ongoing form crisis for the time being.
For CSKA Moscow, on the other hand, the last matchday did not go according to plan. At Arsenal Tula, the second-last team in the table, the Koni’s otherwise so strong defence conceded two goals and had to return home with nothing. The red and blue team from Moscow now face a do-or-die match against Zenit St. Petersburg.
In order to stay in the title race and improve their starting position in the table, Goncharenko’s team is under pressure to win on Wednesday evening. Although Zenit St. Petersburg have not been at their best away from home, the league leaders are seen as slight favourites in the Russian capital.
We see both clubs as equals but would tend to advise against betting on the three-way market. Instead, the goal market appeals to us in the top match between the two title aspirants. For CSKA Moscow vs. Zenit St. Petersburg, our betting odds are on over 2.5 goals in the match. ✅
CSKA Moscow – Statistics & current form
CSKA Moscow have squandered their good starting position in the title race. After a promising start to the 2020/21 season, the Koni from Moscow buckled at the end of the year and slipped down the Premier League table. In the meantime, the Red-Blue are in third place in the table, five points behind the leaders from St. Petersburg.
On Wednesday evening, the Red and Blues have a six-point game against the Premier League leaders. If a prediction on the home side against Zenit St. Peterburg comes true, the Koni can reduce the gap to Zenit to two points.
CSKA head coach Viktor Goncharenko will benefit from home advantage in the top match against the guests from St. Peterburg. The Red and Blues have lost only two home Premier League games at the VEB Arena so far this season. Across competitions, the team has gone unbeaten at home eight times in a row at the national level.
Does CSKA keep the Zenit offence in check?
One of the success factors this season has been the Koni’s defence. With 21 goals conceded, CSKA Moscow has the second-best defence in the Premier League behind the league leaders from St. Petersburg. On average, the third-placed team conceded less than one goal per league match. The defeat on the last matchday was therefore all the more surprising.
Against Arsenal Tula, at the time second-last in the league, they suffered their sixth defeat of the current season and thus a serious setback in the title race. After the poor performance against a relegation candidate, it would therefore be more than daring to bet on the home side
Head coach Goncharenko will have to do without four players for the top match against Zenit due to injury. Compared to last week’s starting eleven, changes cannot be ruled out.
Expected line-up of ZSKA Moscow:
Akinfeev – Zaynutdinov, Magnusson, Diveev, Shennikov – Maradishvili, Akhmetov – Ejuke, Vlasic, Kuchaev – Rondón
Zenit St. Petersburg – Statistics & Current Form
After three games in a row without a win, the recent home victory over Akhmat Grozny was a balm for the soul of the ailing Zenitchiki. As Premier League leaders, however, head coach Sergey Semak’s side are still under pressure to win, with three Moscow clubs breathing down Zenit’s neck.
Zenit St. Petersburg will play one of the three closest rivals on Wednesday evening. As in the first half of the season, the best bookmakers see the leaders from St. Petersburg as favourites in the Russian capital. Zenit recently won two matches in a row against their title rivals and will therefore travel to the VEB Arena with a broad chest.
Will the away weakness of the league leader continue?
Zenit St. Petersburg have lost seven of their nine points away from home. With an away record of 3-5-2, the Zenitchiki are only the fifth strongest away team in the league. Zenit have gone winless in their last three away games recently, including defeat at Rubin Kazan.
In the competition, head coach Semak’s side have won only one of their last eleven away games. Therefore, the role of favourites at home to CSKA Moscow should not be overestimated, especially as Zenit have yet to win an away game at a Moscow club this season.
Sebastián Driussi still out of action
Zenit will be fielding the best possible line-up against their rivals from Moscow. Only Driussi and Lovren will have to rest due to injury. With 50 goals, Zenit St. Petersburg currently have the best offence, and with 19 goals conceded, they also have the best defence in the Russian Premier League.
Predicted line-up of Zenit St. Petersburg:
Lunev – Santos, Rakitskiy, Chistyakov, Karavaev – Kuzyaev, Barrios, Ozdoev – Wendel – Dzyuba, Azmoun