CSKA vs Lokomotiv Prediction
🔊 Which team will come out on top in the first Moscow derby of the season? Bookmakers are leaning towards CSKA. It's not just because they will host the match at the VEB Arena. A more significant factor is that the "Army Men" are the reigning Russian Cup champions. Meanwhile, Lokomotiv have had the best start to the season and are the only team yet to drop points after two matches. Therefore, this matchup is not as straightforward as it might seem. We'll explore various scenarios to provide an insightful prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 In the span of 41 head-to-head matches, CSKA hold the advantage with a 46 percent win rate. However, they've only managed one victory in their last five encounters. Last season, the "Red-Blues" suffered a home defeat (0-1) and settled for a draw (2-2) away. Notably, in the latter match, they were trailing by two goals at halftime but showed resilience to claw back.
Regardless, Lokomotiv have proven to be a tricky opponent for CSKA. Recently, the challenges seem to arise at home, where the "Army Men" have scored no more than one goal in 7 out of their last 8 meetings. Based on the opening matches of the season, it's hard to say CSKA are firing on all cylinders offensively. Meanwhile, Lokomotiv's defense has generally held up well. Therefore, a potential bet could be on the hosts scoring under 1.5 goals.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
CSKA Moscow Team Overview
🔴 CSKA kicked off the season with a victory in the Russian Super Cup, narrowly defeating Krasnodar 1-0. However, Fabio Celestini's debut in the RPL didn't go as planned. His squad couldn't break down Orenburg, settling for a goalless draw against a side preparing for their FNL campaign. But last weekend, the "Army Men" bounced back with a 2-1 win over Akhmat. Although their opponents struck first, CSKA not only equalized but took the lead before halftime. The second half saw the game settle, with neither side managing a shot on target.
🏆 CSKA had a successful last season, highlighted by their triumph in the Russian Cup. They edged Rostov in the super final via penalties. Before that, they overcame a 0-2 deficit in a two-legged affair against Zenit, also advancing after a penalty shootout. It's worth noting that eight days later, head coach Marko Nikolić departed the club.
🔝 Danil Krugovoy is finding new form under Fabio Celestini. Traditionally seen on the left flank of defense, where he faces strong competition from Moisés, Krugovoy has been pushed into an attacking role due to a shortage of wingers. This experiment is proving quite successful. He was one of the most active players against Orenburg and scored a brace in added time of the first half against Akhmat. Notably, Krugovoy has never scored more than two goals in a season before.
Match Results: CSKA Moscow
Lokomotiv Moscow Team Overview
🟢 Last season, Lokomotiv finished sixth in the Russian Premier League but decided to stick with their coach, supporting him with summer transfers. Although not all desired players were signed, the team has looked impressive at the start of this season. In the opening round, they thrashed Sochi 3-0. The score was level until the 80th minute, but substitutions helped turn the game around. Against Krasnodar, the "Railroaders" played on the counterattack and made it count, winning 2-1. They capitalized on their opponent's mistakes, allowing only a late consolation goal in stoppage time. Notably, after just two rounds, Lokomotiv sits alone at the top of the league table.
🏆 Lokomotiv showed confidence during the group stage of last season's Russian Cup. They topped their group, dropping just one point. Rostov trailed by six points but eventually knocked the "Red-Greens" out in the semifinals of the Regional Path.
🔝 The standout star for Lokomotiv is Aleksey Batrakov. His talent became evident last season when he emerged as the team's top scorer with 14 goals, despite being a midfielder. The 20-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. He put in a solid performance against Sochi, although he didn't score. However, Batrakov netted twice against Krasnodar, earning the Man of the Match honors.
Match Results: Lokomotiv Moscow
Latest news
CSKA Moscow
🎙 CSKA head coach Fabio Celestini reflected on their victory over Akhmat: “You can always beat the champion and then lose to a team fighting for survival. There won't be any 5-0 or 6-0 scores. Every goal is hard-fought. We're still at the beginning of the process. The team needs more time. In the first half, we lacked personalities on the pitch, leadership qualities. We faced a similar situation in Orenburg. Moreover, Akhmat defended very well. We lost possession too easily.”
⭐ The match against Akhmat marked Igor Akinfeev's 800th appearance for CSKA. During this stretch, he has conceded 718 goals and kept 334 clean sheets.
🎙 Fabio Celestini admitted that he is counting on strengthening the squad: “We have 17-18 players. We're short in defense, and we lack depth in midfield as well. We need a 'number six.' We need an attacking player. But the club is working on reinforcements.” Amidst this, CSKA received an offer from Al-Jazira for Willian Rocha. The club is reluctant to part with the defender, but he has requested to leave.
❌ Igor Diveev has recovered from his injury and played the full match against Akhmat. As a result, Rodrigo Villagra remains CSKA's only player in the infirmary.
Lokomotiv Moscow
🎙 Lokomotiv midfielder Artem Karpukas shared his thoughts on whether it felt like his team was up against the reigning RPL champions: "It was a good match, a strong opponent, but does it really matter if they're champions or not? We were out there to play against Krasnodar. Our goal is to finish in the top three, and we'll strive to achieve that."
📝 Lokomotiv have signed Cristian Ramirez, a former Krasnodar player, who shared his first comments: "I'm very happy to be back in Russia. I'm glad to have received the offer to play for Lokomotiv. I came to Lokomotiv because I like the team, Moscow, everything. This season, my primary aim is to win the championship with everyone."
❌ It was anticipated that Sergey Pinyaev would recover in time for the match against Krasnodar, but he was left out of the squad, as was Mark Mampasi.
🟨 Yellow Card Prediction
Looking at the stats from the past year, Lokomotiv hold a slight edge in yellow cards with an average of 2.4 per game compared to 2.2. On average, matches involving these teams see 4.4 bookings. Every CSKA game this season has featured at least five yellow cards, and the same number was recorded in Lokomotiv's clash with Krasnodar. The upcoming match promises to be equally intense. Therefore, we back over 4.5 total yellow cards.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
The upcoming fixture is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair. Several trends point to this conclusion. For instance, in CSKA's last 13 Russian Cup matches, no more than three goals have been scored. The same goes for Lokomotiv's last five games in the tournament. Additionally, only 1 of the last 7 head-to-head encounters saw more than three goals. Thus, a bet on under 3.5 total goals seems like a solid choice.
🚩 Corner Prediction
Analyzing last year's statistics, Lokomotiv have a slight advantage in corners with an average of 5 per game compared to CSKA's 4.8. However, this season Lokomotiv have only managed five corners across two matches, while CSKA have already amassed 15. Much will depend on who scores first, but if the scoreline remains level, the hosts are likely to create consistent danger at the opponent's goal. Therefore, we lean towards a CSKA victory in corner count.
Editorial Prediction
In the upcoming clash, much will hinge on the lineup decisions made by the coaches. However, CSKA remain unbeaten so far, while Lokomotiv boast nothing but victories. Recently, the "Railroaders" have been securing impressive results in head-to-head encounters. A draw, say a 1-1 scoreline, could be satisfactory for both sides, and a penalty shootout would be quite a spectacle.
CSKA lack depth in their squad, so Celestini is likely to implement minor rotations. On the other hand, Lokomotiv's head coach Mikhail Galaktionov might make significant changes to the starting lineup, providing an opportunity to impact the game with substitutions. Last season, the "Railroaders" didn't lose a single head-to-head match, and in this new season, they haven't dropped any points in the RPL. Therefore, a key bet suggestion is - Lokomotiv will not lose.
Betting Tips: CSKA Moscow - Lokomotiv Moscow
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Comparison of Teams Stats
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