The Matchday 19 Russian Premier League fixture between Krasnodar and Rostov will take place on 28 February at the Ozon Arena. Krasnodar vs Rostov: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Krasnodar
The reigning champions sit top of the standings after 18 matches, although their lead over nearest challengers Zenit Saint Petersburg is just one point. It was against the St Petersburg side that Murad Musaev's men suffered their most recent defeat in the Russian Premier League, and the team head into this game on a nine-match unbeaten run in the competition (six wins, three draws). That said, despite boasting one of the division's most reliable defences, the hosts have failed to keep a clean sheet in four of their last five league games. Even so, in terms of the number of clean sheets (nine), the home side are behind only Baltika (12). During the winter break, the club played just five friendlies, and the last two ended in defeats.
Forward Gaetan Perrin and midfielder Danila Kozlov have left the club. The squad has been strengthened by the signing of forward Juan Boselli.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 10 of Krasnodar's last 12 Russian Premier League matches.
- In this tournament, the team are on a five-game winning run at home.
- In six of the last eight home league matches, the hosts have scored at least twice.
Potential Krasnodar Lineup (4-5-1)
Stanislav Agkatsev – Giovanni Gonzalez, Vitor Tormena, Diego Costa, Lucas Olasa – Eduard Spertsyan, Joao Bacchi, Douglas Augusto, Aleksandr Chernikov, Viktor Sa – John Cordoba.
Defender Sergey Petrov is injured.
Rostov
After 18 matches, Rostov are in their lowest position in the standings for the last four seasons. The visitors have 21 points (five wins, six draws) and sit six points clear of the relegation play-off zone. At the same time, Jonathan Alba's men are among the top five sides for defensive reliability, having conceded 20 goals. However, their play in the final third has been criticised on more than one occasion: they have scored only 15 goals, and only Dynamo Makhachkala (eight) and Pari NN (12) have a worse record. It is also worth adding that during the training camp the club produced fairly steady results, avoiding defeat in four of seven friendlies (three wins, one draw).
- Rostov have conceded no more than one goal in 10 of their last 12 Russian Premier League matches.
- Away from home, the team have avoided defeat in five of their last six Russian Premier League games (two wins, three draws).
- At least one side failed to score in six of Rostov's last eight away league matches.
Potential Rostov Lineup (4-3-3)
Rustam Yatimov – Dmitry Chistyakov, Viktor Melekhin, David Semenchuk, Ilya Vakhaniya – Kirill Shchetinin, Aleksey Mironov, Ivan Komarov – Mohammad Mohebi, Timur Suleymanov, Ronaldo.
Defender Umar Sako is suspended.
Referee
Anton Frolov (Russia)
Matches – 5 (Russian Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 21;
Yellow cards per match – 4.2;
Red cards shown – 0;
Fouls per match – 29;
Penalties – 40%.
Krasnodar vs Rostov: Match Prediction
Judging by the lack of transfer activity, the visitors do not intend to change their playing style in the remaining fixtures. That means the away side will primarily rely on their defence. Jonathan Alba's men have recorded seven clean sheets, and by that metric the club trails only three opponents. Moreover, on the road in the current league campaign, Rostov have conceded more than one goal in only three of nine matches, which is impressive given away trips to Saint Petersburg and to Moscow to face Lokomotiv Moscow. If the visitors were also producing strong numbers in front of goal, they would clearly be much higher in the standings right now.
Krasnodar have enjoyed success against the Rostov side, but in the first round Murad Musaev's men were unable to break down their opponents and did not even produce an expected-goals figure worth one goal. In the upcoming meeting, Rostov will defend even more compactly. Even so, the hosts should be capable of taking points. Krasnodar are on a nine-match unbeaten run in the league (six wins, three draws), and among the five nearest chasers in that stretch, the only side they did not face was Zenit Saint Petersburg. It is also worth adding that the home team have been solid defensively themselves, conceding more than one goal in only one of their last nine Russian Premier League matches.
Prediction: Krasnodar, double chance + Under 3.5 goals
