Predictions for the 19th round of the Russian Premier League, February 27 – March 1
Zenit vs Baltika
The Russian Premier League returns after the winter break with a match between the teams with the fewest losses in the championship. Thus, Zenit will host arguably the main surprise team of the Russian championship, Baltika, in the 19th round. There are only four points between the clubs in the standings, but the difference in class is obvious. Nevertheless, the team from Kaliningrad has the best defensive record in the league, conceding an average of 0.4 goals per game. Matches of both teams before the break were rarely high-scoring. We anticipate that they will need some time to get back into rhythm.
Match Prediction for Zenit vs Baltika: total goals under 2.5
Orenburg vs Akron
In the earliest Saturday slot of the 19th RPL round, Orenburg and Akron will play. The club from Tolyatti is in its second consecutive season in the top league and is maintaining its pace, sitting mid-table after the first half of the championship. However, if we only consider away matches, Zaurbek Tedeev's team would be in 5th place in the standings. Orenburg, on the other hand, has achieved only one home victory in the current campaign and has not claimed three points in head-to-head meetings with Akron since their joint performances in the FNL. We anticipate that the visitors, having suffered only one defeat during the off-season, will perform well in the north of Russia.
Match Prediction for Orenburg vs Akron: Akron will not lose
Krasnodar vs Rostov
The 19th RPL round continues on Saturday in the south of Russia, where league leaders Krasnodar will host mid-table Rostov. The "Yellow-Blues" have not beaten the "Bulls" in the top league since 2014. Narrowing the timeframe, it becomes evident that Rostov also struggles with scoring: they have failed to score in three consecutive matches. The "Black-Greens" have the second-best defense in the league, so we expect that they will not allow the visitors to create many chances at their goal.
Match Prediction for Krasnodar vs Rostov: both teams to score (no)
Lokomotiv vs Pari NN
The clash between Lokomotiv and Pari NN in Moscow promises plenty of goals. The first-round meeting between the future opponents delivered a flurry of goals (3:2 in favor of the "Railwaymen"). Lokomotiv is the most prolific team in the RPL, averaging more than two goals per game at home in the first half of the season. The team from Nizhny Novgorod, however, has a negative goal difference on the road, comparable to clubs at the bottom of the table (-12). Here, a confident victory for the hosts, with a significant margin, seems more likely.
Match Prediction for Lokomotiv vs Pari NN: Lokomotiv handicap (-1.5)
Dynamo Makhachkala vs Rubin
Another Saturday match of the 19th RPL round will take place in Makhachkala, where the local Dynamo will host Rubin. The upcoming match will mark the debut of Fran Artiga at the helm of the Kazan team and his first appearance in Russia in almost a year, since he last coached Khimki. According to media reports that have leaked from Rubin's camp during the off-season, it seems that Fran has established a good connection with the local players. The results of the friendly matches also indicate that the "red-greens" have prepared well for the second half of the season. We expect them to take points from Makhachkala.
Match Prediction for Dynamo Makhachkala vs Rubin: Rubin will not lose
Dynamo Moscow vs Krylya Sovetov
Rolan Gusev started with a victory at Dynamo, but then in three matches before the winter break, the Moscow team managed to secure only one draw, losing in all other encounters. On Sunday, Krylya Sovetov will visit the "white-blues." The Samara team performs terribly away, having earned only five points in 10 rounds, conceding an average of two goals per match. Incidentally, Dynamo's home performance is almost the same. In Gusev's first game at the Lev Yashin Stadium, they thrashed Dynamo Makhachkala 3-0. We expect history to repeat itself.
Match Prediction for Dynamo Moscow vs Krylya Sovetov: Handicap Dynamo Moscow (-1.5)
Sochi vs Spartak Moscow
Surprisingly, Spartak's trips to Sochi have been extremely unsuccessful. The Moscow team has yet to secure a victory on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. During the winter off-season, the "people's team" was taken over by Juan Carlos Carcedo, who performed a miracle with Cyprus's Pafos, leading them to their first-ever Champions League appearance, where the islanders performed quite well. So why shouldn't the Spaniard repeat this feat in Russia?
Match Prediction for Sochi vs Spartak Moscow: Spartak to win
Akhmat vs CSKA
The 19th round of the RPL will conclude with a meeting between Akhmat and CSKA in Grozny. Generally, the Moscow team regularly takes points from the "Akhmat Arena," having not lost there since 2021. Incidentally, the current coach of the "army men," Fabio Celestini, secured his first RPL victory against Akhmat. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the hosts have shown their best side at home towards the end of the first half of the championship, earning six points before the winter break. However, the history of head-to-head encounters forces us to have more faith in the visitors.
