The Matchday 6 clash in the Russian Premier League between Sochi and Baltika will take place on August 24 at the Fisht Stadium. Sochi vs. Baltika: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Sochi
Roberto Moreno's side suffered a 1-5 defeat away to Krasnodar in the last round. This marks the team's fourth loss in the current championship, with three of those being heavy defeats. Sochi has only one point and is at the bottom of the standings. However, it's worth noting that Sochi has scored in their last three RPL matches. On average, the team manages only 2.2 shots on target, which is the worst in the league.
- At least three goals have been scored in 7 of Sochi's last 9 league matches.
- The team has conceded in 12 of their last 14 home Premier League games.
- Sochi has not lost in 7 of their last 9 home RPL matches (2 wins, 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Sochi (4-5-1)
Alexander Degtev – Kirill Zaika, Artem Makarchuk, Sergey Volkov, Vyacheslav Litvinov – Ignacio Saavedra, Dmitry Vasilyev, Anton Zinkovsky, Martin Kramaric, Kirill Kravtsov – Saul Guarirapa.
Forward Pavel Meleshin and defender Ruslan Magal are injured. Defender Marcelo Alves is suspended for this match.
Baltika
The Kaliningrad side became only the fourth team to rise from the FNL and remain unbeaten in their first five Premier League rounds. In their last match, Andrey Talalaev's team drew 1-1 at home against Lokomotiv. With nine points (2 wins, 3 draws), the team is in 5th place in the standings. However, Baltika has only kept a clean sheet once. On the other hand, they are doing well in terms of scoring, with 9 goals, a tally surpassed by only four other teams.
- Baltika has scored in 13 consecutive RPL matches.
- The team has not won in 5 of their last 6 away Premier League matches (2 draws, 3 losses).
- Baltika has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 7 of their last 9 away games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Baltika (4-5-1)
Maxim Borisko – Sergey Varatynov, Kevin Andrade, Nathan Gassama, Mingiyan Beveev – Vladislav Saus, Yuri Kovalev, Ilya Petrov, Nikolay Titkov, Maxim Petrov – Brian Hill.
Midfielder Irakli Manelov has joined the team. His colleague Andrey Mendel is injured.
Referee
Anton Frolov (Russia)
Matches – 6 (RPL, 2021/22 - 2022/23);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 18;
Penalties – 50%.
Match Prediction: Sochi vs. Baltika
The encounter between the FNL graduates does not bode well for Sochi. Roberto Moreno's side has only managed a single point against a struggling Dynamo Moscow. The team has already conceded 15 goals, and Sochi's attack has not been able to compensate for defensive lapses. The team has created only 10 goal-scoring opportunities, the worst in the league. For comparison, Baltika's figure is three times higher. Additionally, Sochi has not won in 5 of their last 6 home RPL matches (3 draws, 2 losses).
Kaliningrad became the first team to take points off Lokomotiv in the current championship. Baltika is among the top three clubs yet to be defeated in the RPL 2025/26. Andrey Talalaev's side looks strong in attack and allows few chances at their goal.
In the previous First League season, Kaliningrad collected 4 points against Sochi. Baltika has a good chance of achieving a positive result this time as well. My prediction: Baltika with a handicap (0)
