Sochi vs Salavat Yulaev UFA Prediction
🔊 On the brink of losing even theoretical playoff hopes, Sochi host Salavat Yulaev for the second time this season. Interestingly, over the past decade, the "Leopards" have never defeated the Ufa club in two consecutive games. Can the southern team break this unfortunate streak? We delve into the upcoming KHL match on January 24 in our prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 As mentioned earlier, Sochi haven't managed to defeat Salavat Yulaev in back-to-back games for nearly a decade. However, during the 2015-2016 period, the "Leopards" proved to be a tough opponent for the "Greens," defeating them four times.
Over the past five years, the advantage has swung in favor of the team from Bashkortostan: Salavat have secured eight victories compared to Sochi's two. This season, the Western underdogs pulled off a surprise by beating the Ufa side 2-1, with goals from Khafizov and Ellis.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Sochi Team Overview
In 45 games, Sochi have accumulated 35 points-currently performing slightly better than last season's pace, which saw the team finish at the bottom of the Western standings. However, their efforts remain insufficient as their gap from the top eight has widened to 18 points in recent days. The only remaining intrigue for the southern team is their final standing-will they finish last again or manage to climb to second-to-last?
Dmitry Mikhaylov's squad have won just one out of their last six matches. During this stretch, the "Leopards" suffered three shutout losses: to Dynamo Moscow (0-3), Metallurg (0-9), and the KHL's main underdog, Lada (0-4). Sochi's offensive output in January is disappointing, averaging just 1.4 goals per game. Additionally, Sochi are the only KHL team yet to reach 100 goals this season, currently sitting at 99.
In January, two more forwards joined the injury list alongside Daniil Serokh: Matvei Guskov, the team's second-best assist provider this season with 14 assists, and Denis Vengryzhanovsky. Recently, the southern team received financial compensation for trading defenseman Semyon Ibragimov to Vladivostok.
Match Results: Sochi
Salavat Yulaev UFA Team Overview
The Ufa club has solidified their position in the Eastern Conference playoff zone over the last 10 games, with 7 wins and 3 losses (one in overtime). In this span, only three teams in the East have performed better: Metallurg with 19 points, Ak Bars, and Neftekhimik with 16 each.
Currently, Viktor Kozlov's team sits in sixth place. While breaking into the top three seems unlikely, they have a realistic shot at finishing in the top five. After a five-game winning streak at the start of 2026, Ufa have slowed down, losing their last two games to Avtomobilist (2-6) and Avangard (2-5).
Defenseman Alexei Vasilevsky has been on the injured list for over two weeks, and following their trip to Yekaterinburg, the team also lost star forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has recorded 1 goal and 2 assists in five games with his new club.
Match Results: Salavat Yulaev UFA
🏒 Projected Lineups
Sochi: Khomchenko - Volkov, Machulin - Popov, Khafizov, Ellis
Salavat Yulaev: Vyazovoy - Stewart, Zorkin - Brossoit, Rodewald, Rempal
🥅 Goalkeepers
Sochi's main goalie, Pavel Khomchenko, has been putting up a decent performance this season despite facing significant challenges. Even during heavy defeats, as previously mentioned, the 31-year-old has maintained a solid save percentage of 91.7% on average.
Semyon Vyazovoy ranks among the top five goaltenders in the league for save percentage (92.9%) and is in the top ten for goals-against average (2.25). In 2026, the 22-year-old netminder has yet to finish a game with a save percentage below 90.0%.
Editorial Prediction
Sochi face a tough challenge breaking their losing streak against Salavat Yulaev after their recent head-to-head win-scoring has been an issue, and their playoff ambitions seem to have faded.
The Ufa side, meanwhile, have yet to secure a top-8 spot but have been on a solid run recently. Salavat Yulaev have won five of their last six away games against Sochi, making a victory for Salavat Yulaev in regulation time an appealing prediction.
Betting Tips: Sochi - Salavat Yulaev UFA
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