CSKA vs Zenit Prediction
🔊 Can CSKA overturn a two-goal deficit in the Russian Cup RPL Path final? It's a tough task, especially considering their opponents are Zenit, the tournament's top favorites. However, it's not the end of the world for the "Army Men" if they fail to achieve the desired outcome. With a slight edge, the hosts are considered the favorites. Nonetheless, we will explore various scenarios to make an insightful prediction. It's worth noting that the second leg will take place in Moscow at the VEB Arena. The winner of this tie will face either Spartak or Rostov for the trophy.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over a stretch of 48 head-to-head matches, Zenit hold the upper hand with a 50 percent win rate. This season, they have already tasted victory at the “VEB Arena.” That win came in September during the first round of the RPL (1-0), courtesy of a goal by Luciano Gondou. In the second round, the teams couldn't break the deadlock, leaving the fans without goals.
In the first game of the current matchup, Zenit proved stronger with a 2-0 victory. However, CSKA fielded a less-than-optimal lineup. Notably, Vladislav Torop was in goal, with Jamalutdin Abdulkadyrov and Matvey Lukin forming the central defensive pair. Each of these three players is no older than 21. Despite this, the "Army Men" played fairly well and even matched Zenit at times. Ultimately, individual errors led to goals from Cassierra and Mostovoy, deciding the match.
CSKA typically struggle to score in these encounters. They have managed no more than one goal in 12 of their last 13 matches, including five at home. Following their two-goal victory, Zenit are likely to focus more on defense. Therefore, a potential bet could be CSKA total goals under 1.5.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
CSKA Moscow Team Overview
🔴 CSKA's defeat to Zenit in the Russian Cup is their only loss in the spring part of the season. It's fair to say that the "Army Men" haven't been particularly outstanding. They still face issues in attack, their defense is shaky due to personnel losses, and the winter transfers didn't strengthen the squad. Nevertheless, they have climbed from sixth to third place, and with two rounds remaining, they still have a mathematical chance at winning the RPL title. However, securing a podium finish would also be considered a success for Marko Nikolic's team.
🔗 Last weekend, CSKA had a significant impact on the RPL title race by defeating Krasnodar 1-0. The only goal came from Saul Guarirapa, who has shown great improvement since the winter training camps. Notably, he scored just six minutes after coming off the bench. CSKA's second-half performance was impressive. They created numerous chances and could have scored more. Meanwhile, Krasnodar failed to register a single shot on target, even though they were chasing the game.
Match Results: CSKA Moscow
Zenit Saint Petersburg Team Overview
⚪ Zenit are the frontrunners for the Russian Cup title, especially after their opening game against CSKA. Their odds of winning the RPL have also improved thanks to CSKA's victory over Krasnodar. Now, the Blue-White-Sky Blues trail the leaders by just one point, and they haven't had to exert themselves excessively. The team dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Dynamo Moscow and held a narrow edge over Pari NN and Dynamo Makhachkala.
🔗 Last weekend, Zenit traveled to Kaspiysk. At the Anzhi Arena, the match was evenly contested, although the St. Petersburg side clearly outclassed Makhachkala. In such a scenario, it was Nino's goal late in the first half that secured the three points. This was the Brazilian defender's second goal for Zenit. After the break, the game settled down, particularly for Semak's squad. They posed little threat to the hosts' goal but effectively secured their penalty area, maintaining a slim 1-0 advantage.
Match Results: Zenit Saint Petersburg
Latest news
CSKA Moscow
📣 Marco Nikolic after the loss to Zenit in the Russian Cup: “Neither Zenit nor we are out of the cup yet. We have a second leg in Moscow. We will prepare. We didn't score in the second half, but I am very pleased with how we fought, how we battled, and the desire we showed.”
📌 CSKA have started the calendar year without a defeat in their first 10 RPL matches for the first time in history - securing seven wins and three draws.
🔝 Marco Nikolic was voted the best coach in April by experts.
❌ Rodrigo Villagra has yet to debut for CSKA, so it's unlikely he'll be fielded in such an important match. Kirill Glebov will also miss out due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Zenit Saint Petersburg
📣 Zenit defender Nino shared his thoughts on the victory over Dynamo Makhachkala: “It's a very special feeling after a very tough match and an incredibly important win for our team. We knew we needed the three points, and being able to help Zenit achieve that means a lot to me... Everything was challenging. The unfamiliar pitch, a combative opponent, lots of battles. It took us some time to adapt and find our game, and I think we managed to do that.”
❌ In the upcoming match, Vyacheslav Karavaev will not play as he is missing the entire spring segment of the season. Wendel, who missed the match against Dynamo Makhachkala, will also not take the field. There's a possibility he won't play for Zenit again, as he might leave the club in the summer. Sasha Zdjelar, who joined Zenit from CSKA in the winter, will also miss the return leg due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
🟨 Yellow Card Prediction
CSKA Moscow tend to receive almost twice as many yellow cards in the Russian Cup (2.4 compared to 1.3). However, this trend didn't hold up in their first cup clash (3:4). In their two head-to-head encounters in the Russian Premier League, neither team received fewer than five warnings. Therefore, we suggest betting on total yellow cards over 4.5.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
CSKA are trailing by two goals. At some point, they'll need to open up, likely in the second half, as it's improbable they'll close the gap before halftime. During this time, Zenit will be dangerous on the counterattack, having scored after the break in five Russian Cup matches. Thus, we can reasonably expect a goal from the visitors in the 2nd half.
🚩 Corner Prediction
Zenit have a slight edge in corners in the Russian Cup (4.5 compared to 4.4). However, in the first game of the RPL Path final, neither team exceeded their average. Matches involving these teams average fewer than nine corners, so it makes sense to bet on total corners under 9.5.
Editorial Prediction
The head-to-head clashes between these teams rarely thrill fans of high-scoring football. Goals are exchanged infrequently (just in 3 of the last 7 matches), and even less often do we see a high total (only once in the last 9 games). Given Zenit's solid lead, we don't expect the visitors to play a risky game. Therefore, our bet is on total goals under 2.5.
Betting Tips: CSKA Moscow - Zenit Saint Petersburg
in 7 of last 8 home games..svg)
in last 8 games (Russian Cup).in 6 of last 7 games.in 5 of last 6 away games (Russian Cup).in 12 of last 13 games.in 9 of last 10 games (Russian Cup).in 8 of last 9 games against Zenit Saint Petersburg.in 6 of last 7 home games against Zenit Saint Petersburg.in 15 of last 16 games.in last 13 games (Russian Cup).in 12 of last 13 away games.in last 6 away games (Russian Cup).
Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
