Baltika vs CSKA Prediction 14 March 2026
🔊 The Saturday slot of the 21st round of the RPL concludes with a clash between Baltika and CSKA, a matchup that could easily be considered the highlight of the round. The teams sit next to each other in the standings, yet both have struggled to find their form in the second half of the season. Over the past two seasons of Baltika's presence in the top tier of Russian football, the teams have been evenly matched in their head-to-head results. Who will come out on top this time? Let's evaluate both teams' chances with our editorial prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 The clubs have faced each other nine times. CSKA hold a significant advantage with seven wins to two. However, in the last four encounters, the results have been evenly matched. Notably, in half of these recent matches, both teams found the back of the net.
Head-to-head statistics Baltika - CSKA
Baltika Kaliningrad Team Overview
Andrey Talalaev's Baltika have had a disappointing start to the second half of the season, failing to secure a win in three matches across the league and cup. However, this hasn't affected the Kaliningrad side's standing in the RPL table. For eight consecutive weeks, excluding one round before the winter break, Baltika have maintained their position in the top four. Currently, though, they trail third place by five points.
In the 20th round of the RPL, Baltika faced an away game against Rostov. In a routine fashion, the visitors managed to secure a point. Both teams shared territorial advantage equally, although the hosts looked slightly more dangerous in attack (17 shots with 1.91 xG compared to 8 shots with 1.51 xG). Nevertheless, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Match Results: Baltika Kaliningrad
CSKA Moscow Team Overview
Since the resumption of the league, CSKA have only been collecting defeats. Their sole victory came in the cup against Krasnodar with a 3-1 win. In the Russian Premier League, Fabio Celestini's side have slipped out of the top four, currently sitting in fifth place, trailing the top three by five points. Their unfortunate run in the Premier League stretches back to late last year and now stands at three matches without a win.
The home match of the 20th round in the RPL against Dynamo Moscow got off to a rocky start when the visitors scored in the 13th minute, and four minutes later, the hosts were reduced to ten men. Despite playing with a man down, the "Army Men" maintained more possession (56%) and mounted a decent attack (13 shots with 1.34 xG). However, the imbalance in numbers took its toll, as Dynamo outperformed CSKA nearly twofold in expected goals and fourfold in actual goals, finishing 4-1.
Match Results: CSKA Moscow
Latest news
Baltika Kaliningrad
🎙 The head coach of Baltika has taken responsibility for the dropped points in two RPL matches following the season restart. "Dropping points at the very end of the last two matches is more about self-confidence. It's a price for my lack of restraint. Had I been with the guys, I'm sure we would have secured some points," said Andrey Talalaev.
❌ Midfielder Ivan Belikov will miss the upcoming round due to an accumulation of yellow cards. There are no other absences in the Kaliningrad squad.
CSKA Moscow
🎙 Former CSKA Moscow midfielder Dmitry Khomukha believes the "Army Men" are already out of the RPL title race: "I think CSKA are already out of the title race. I'm judging based on both their play and their points tally. The gap to the top is quite significant. I don't expect the leaders to drop that many points. Now, the task for the Army Men is to secure a spot in the top three."
❌ Luciano Gondou will miss the upcoming match after receiving a red card in the last round. There are no other absences in the CSKA squad, including due to injuries.
🟨 Prediction on Yellow Cards
Andrey Talalaev advocates for a physical style of play at Baltika. The team focuses on defense, and their backline is tough to penetrate, largely due to their smart strategy of minor, and occasionally hard, fouls. Since the winter break, the Kaliningrad side have not received fewer than three yellow cards in any match, including four consecutive encounters against CSKA. Given these circumstances, it seems reasonable to bet on Baltika's total yellow cards over 2.5.
⚽️ Prediction on Goals
Both teams have struggled to find form after the winter break. While Baltika's results can be somewhat justified by two matches against Zenit, CSKA's performance leaves much to be desired. Let's break it down: Andrey Talalaev's football hasn't changed significantly since the first half of the season - his team continues to concede very few goals. Meanwhile, CSKA, for instance, failed to score away at Akhmat. We believe that breaking down Baltika's organized defense will be even tougher. Under these conditions, a bet on both teams to score (no) might be worthwhile.
🚩 Prediction on Corners
Baltika plays a counter-attacking style but creates most of their chances from open play, not relying heavily on set pieces. In 14 of their last 15 RPL matches, the Kaliningrad side have taken no more than five corners, as well as in 6 out of 7 head-to-head clashes with CSKA. In terms of average corners per game in the league, Baltika rank second to last. Our prediction: Baltika's total corners under 5.5.
Editor's Prediction
Despite their unsatisfactory results post-winter break, Baltika seem to be in better shape than CSKA. Andrei Talalaev's squad hasn't shown significant regression-it's not fair to judge them based solely on two matches against Zenit. The Kaliningrad side remain solid defensively and capitalize on their limited attacking opportunities, as seen in their match against Rostov. We believe they can stifle the game at home and secure a result that suits them. Given these circumstances, a narrow 1-0 victory for the hosts is quite possible. However, for a safer bet, consider the total goals under 2.5.
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Betting Tips: Baltika Kaliningrad - CSKA Moscow
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Comparison of Teams Stats
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