CSKA vs Spartak Moscow Prediction
🔊 Who will triumph in the "Derby of All Russia"? Without a doubt, the highlight of the 11th round of the Russian Premier League is the clash between CSKA and Spartak. Regardless of their standings, this rivalry always garners significant attention. Adding to the intrigue, CSKA are currently among the leaders. For the "Red-Whites," it's crucial to knock their arch-rivals off the top and re-enter the race for the highest positions. However, achieving this at the "VEB Arena" won't be easy. Even though CSKA have home advantage, there's no clear favorite in this upcoming encounter. Therefore, we'll explore various scenarios to make a well-founded prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 In the span of 44 head-to-head encounters, CSKA hold the upper hand with a 45 percent win rate. Last season at the "VEB Arena," Spartak emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. However, in the second leg, the "Red-Blues" avenged that loss with a 2-1 victory. Notably, both goals were scored by players who are no longer with CSKA this season. It's worth mentioning that both matches saw not just a flurry of yellow cards but also some dismissals.
Derbies are typically unpredictable, yet certain trends have emerged in the smaller markets. Recently, there has been so much midfield battle that the ball rarely reached the goalmouth. As a result, in 10 consecutive head-to-head meetings, the teams have taken no more than nine corners. In the upcoming clash, there might be slightly more transitions into fast breaks compared to last season when CSKA employed a different strategy. Nonetheless, it's reasonable to consider the option of total corners under 9.5.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
CSKA Moscow Team Overview
There have been recent indications of a dip in form for CSKA. Initially, they failed to secure a win against a ten-man Krasnodar (1-1), followed by a defeat to Rostov (0-1). Adding to this, they suffered a penalty shootout loss to Baltika in the Russian Cup. However, the team has found their winning stride again, albeit without their former ease of play. Nevertheless, the "Army Men" defeated Sochi (3-1), and in the last round, they snatched a victory against Baltika in stoppage time (1-0). This propelled them to the top of the league standings, although their lead over Lokomotiv and Krasnodar remains slim. It's worth noting that since losing to Spartak last season, CSKA have gone 12 matches unbeaten at home.
In the Russian Cup, CSKA have twice lost on penalties. The last round was no exception to this lottery. During the week, the "Army Men" faced Lokomotiv away. Fabio Celestini made some rotations, but not entirely. Matvey Kislyak and Moisés started but were substituted during the match. A victory in regular time eluded them. However, the "Red-Blues" finally triumphed in the penalty shootout (1-0), securing a spot in the RPL Path playoffs and taking first place in their group.
Match Results: CSKA Moscow
Spartak Moscow Team Overview
Spartak, who had been lingering in the lower half of the standings for a while, are now just three points behind the leader. They have a chance to catch up with CSKA, especially given their strong away form, with only two losses in 13 matches. Their last setback came against Lokomotiv at the "RZD Arena" in early August. Since then, they've only dropped points twice and recently dominated Pari NN with a 3-0 victory in the previous round.
Recently, Spartak faced Nizhny Novgorod again, this time in the Russian Cup on their opponent's turf. Few expected such a challenging encounter. They managed to clinch a 2-1 victory only in stoppage time, thanks to Gedson Fernandes, who played the full match while other key players were rested. This win secured their early advancement to the RPL Path playoffs from second place.
Match Results: Spartak Moscow
Latest news
CSKA Moscow
🎙 CSKA defender Igor Diveev on the significance of the clash with Spartak: “I'm expecting a CSKA victory in the derby against Spartak. They remain our most significant rivals, alongside Zenit. But if I had to choose our main adversary, it’s Spartak. For me, playing against them is an occasion where you simply have to win. I've been with CSKA for six years now, and every season should end with Spartak below us. Only then can we say we've achieved 50% of our goal. I hope this season CSKA will once again finish above Spartak.”
❌ Kirill Glebov has recovered. He made his return to the pitch against Baltika, playing 11 minutes. In the recent Russian Cup match, he was given half an hour. Therefore, only Ramiro Di Luciano is unavailable, but he hasn't yet matured into a first-team player.
Spartak Moscow
🎙 Spartak midfielder Gedson Fernandes, ahead of the derby, believes there's no need to single out specific opponents: "We shouldn't worry about who we're playing against. We must respect all teams equally. It doesn't matter who our opponent is. The derby is an important game for us, but all games are important. We must respect every opponent the same way."
❌ Spartak are preparing for the match with a full squad. The only absence will be Dejan Stankovic on the coaching bench, as he continues to serve his one-month suspension.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The main referee for the match is Artem Chistyakov. This season, he has officiated four Russian Premier League games, averaging 30 fouls per match. Chistyakov tends to be quite lenient, showing an average of 2.75 yellow cards. He has overseen matches involving both CSKA and Spartak against Zenit, issuing three yellow cards in each encounter, though there was also a sending-off in the latter game.
This season, CSKA have the edge in yellow cards (2.3 compared to 2.1). On average, matches involving these teams see slightly fewer than five cautions. Last season's head-to-heads featured four red cards and 16 yellows. However, this time around, the referee might prevent a flare-up on the pitch, as he has confidently handled two major matches involving CSKA and Spartak this season. Thus, a potential bet could be on total yellow cards under 5.5.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
CSKA typically start matches with high intensity and often score at least once before halftime. They've managed this in 8 of their last 9 home games. On the other hand, Spartak have found the net in the first half of 6 out of their last 7 games. This suggests that the upcoming match should see the score opened within the first 45 minutes. Therefore, we recommend betting on total goals over 0.5 in the first half.
🚩 Corner Prediction
This season, Spartak lead in corners (5.6 compared to 4.7). In 7 of their last 8 Russian Premier League matches, they've secured at least five corners. CSKA often score in the first half, and if they do so in the upcoming match, the visitors will likely have several set-piece opportunities. Hence, it's worth considering a bet on total corners over 4.5.
Editorial Prediction
There's no clear favorite in the upcoming clash, though Spartak are slightly favored given their current momentum. Despite losing four consecutive matches at the VEB Arena, they managed to secure two draws in those encounters. Meanwhile, CSKA have been solid at home, making a draw, such as a 1-1 scoreline, a likely outcome.
CSKA have only kept clean sheets twice this season, in the first and last rounds, while failing to score only against Orenburg. On the flip side, Spartak have found the net in their last 13 matches consecutively. Thus, our key bet is on both teams to score (yes).
Betting Tips: CSKA Moscow - Spartak Moscow
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Comparison of Teams Stats
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