The Matchday 11 clash in the Russian Premier League between Akron and Zenit will take place on October 4 at the Solidarity Samara Arena. Akron vs. Zenit: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akron
In the last round, the team suffered a 0-3 defeat away to Akhmat. This is the first heavy defeat for the Tolyatti side in the current championship, and their fifth since the start of the tournament. Notably, Zaur Tedeev's men have conceded in 8 consecutive Premier League games, and with only one clean sheet, the club ranks among the four worst in the league. However, Akron has found the back of the net in 15 of their last 17 RPL fixtures. In the standings, the team is in 14th place.
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Akron's last 6 league matches.
- The club has not won at home in 6 consecutive Premier League games (3 draws, 3 losses).
- In 5 of their last 6 home games in this tournament, Akron has not scored more than once.
Predicted lineup for Akron (4-5-1)
Vitaly Gudiev – Roberto Fernandez, Ionuts Nedelcearu, Rodrigo Esquivel, Dmitry Pestrikov – Saltmurad Bakaev, Edgar Sevikyan, Konstantin Maradishvili, Stefan Loncar, Kristian Bistrovic – Artem Dzyuba.
Midfielders Maxim Boldyrev and Alexa Dzhurasovic are sidelined with injuries.
Zenit
Maxim Glushenkov's four-goal haul helped the St. Petersburg side thrash Orenburg 5-2 in the last round. Sergei Semak's men ended a four-match goalless streak in the RPL, but the team has scored at least two goals in five of their last six league matches. In this period, Zenit has collected 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws). Additionally, the club showed their best shooting stats of the season against Orenburg, with 11 shots on target (average 5.6). In the main standings, the St. Petersburg side climbed to 4th place, reducing the gap to league leaders Krasnodar to two points.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 5 of Zenit's last 7 Premier League matches.
- Away from home, the team has not won in 4 of their last 5 league matches (3 draws, 1 loss).
- In 11 of their last 13 away matches in this tournament, the club has scored exactly 1 or 2 goals.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-5-1)
Denis Adamov – Douglas Santos, Nuraly Alip, Nino, Gustavo Mantuan – Maxim Glushenkov, Wilmar Barrios, Luis Enrique, Wendel, Pedro Enrique – Mateo Cassierra.
Defender Vyacheslav Karavaev is injured. Midfielder Gerson is not yet ready for official games.
Match Prediction: Akron vs. Zenit
The Tolyatti side collected 6 of their 7 points in the first four rounds, after which the team's results declined. Zaur Tedeev's men have lost 5 of their last 6 Premier League matches. Akron faced tough opponents during this stretch, and their next opponent is a championship contender. Moreover, Zenit has gained momentum, winning 4 of their last 5 RPL matches, dropping points only against the resilient Baltika. Tedeev's men are far from the level of the Kaliningrad side.
Akron's defense ranks among the worst in the tournament, and the team has conceded at least two goals in 6 consecutive league matches. With such stats, the Tolyatti side is unlikely to contain the St. Petersburg attack, which has begun to show the expected level of scoring prowess. In their last six RPL matches, Zenit failed to score only against the aforementioned Baltika, while their other opponents conceded at least twice.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total Over 1.5
