Matchday 19 of the Russian Premier League season sees FK Sochi take on Spartak Moscow on 1 March at the Fisht Olympic Stadium. FK Sochi vs Spartak Moscow: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
FK Sochi
FK Sochi went into the break rooted to the bottom of the Russian Premier League standings. The club have suffered 13 defeats (2 wins, 3 draws), and they are eight points adrift of 12th place, which guarantees safety. It is worth noting that FK Sochi have conceded 41 goals, which is a worst-ever tally after 18 matchdays in the 21st century. At the same time, things have not been smooth in attack either, with the home team scoring fewer than one goal per game. A small consolation for the hosts has been their pre-season results: in 10 friendlies, Igor Osinkin's side lost just once (4 wins, 5 draws).
Midfielder Ignacio Saavedra and defender Nabil Aberdin have left the club. As for arrivals, we should highlight forward Gustavo Furtado.
- At least three goals were scored in 6 of the last 8 FK Sochi matches in the Russian Premier League.
- On home turf in this competition, the club have lost 5 of their last 7 matches (1 win, 1 draw).
- A goal was scored in both halves in 6 of the team's last 8 Premier League games.
Potential FK Sochi Lineup (4-5-1)
Aleksandr Degtev – Nemanja Stojic, Sergey Volkov, Ruslan Magal, Aleksandr Soldatenkov – Dmitriy Vasilev, Mikhail Ignatov, Aleksandr Kovalenko, Anton Zinkovskiy, Ruslan Bart – Martin Kramaric.
Forward Pavel Melesin and midfielder Maksim Mukhin are injured.
Spartak Moscow
The visitors can also regard the first half of the campaign as disappointing. Spartak Moscow sit sixth in the overall standings, and their gap to leaders Krasnodar is already into double figures. Notably, four of the Muscovites' five defeats have come away from home. The away side have not been particularly reliable defensively: with 23 goals conceded, Spartak Moscow are among the three worst teams in the top half of the table for that metric. However, the club went unbeaten in training camp (4 wins, 2 draws).
Juan Carlos Carcedo, formerly in charge of Pafos Football Club, has been appointed as the team's new head coach. Defender Daniil Khlusevich has left the Muscovites, while midfielder Vladislav Saus has joined the squad.
- Spartak Moscow have scored more than one goal in just 1 of their last 7 Premier League matches.
- On the road, the visitors have failed to win 4 of their last 5 league games (1 draw, 3 defeats).
- The team have conceded in each of their last five away matches in this competition.
Potential Spartak Moscow Lineup (4-3-3)
Aleksandr Maksimenko – Daniil Denisov, Christopher Wu, Aleksandr Djiku, Oleg Ryabchuk – Ezequiel Barco, Nail Umyarov, Gedson Fernandes – Manfred Ugalde, Marquinhos, Pablo Solari.
Defender Srdjan Babic and midfielder Igor Dmitriev are in the treatment room. The latter would have missed the match anyway due to suspension.
Referee
Evgeniy Bulanov (Russia)
Matches – 9 (Russian Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 41;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.6;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 31;
Penalties – 22%.
FK Sochi vs Spartak Moscow: Match Prediction
FK Sochi have struggled in the current league campaign even against teams from the bottom half of the table. Meetings with higher-class opponents, meanwhile, have left only negative memories. In the first half of the season, the hosts lost to every current member of the top six, and they never conceded fewer than two goals in those matches. It remains unclear whether Igor Osinkin has managed to tighten things up at the back. Friendlies are not a reliable indicator, but even in pre-season FK Sochi allowed plenty of chances in their own box, including against Second League opposition.
Spartak Moscow will be looking to rescue their season, which is precisely why the club's hierarchy decided to make changes on the touchline. To remain among the contenders for the very top places, the visitors must minimise dropped points, especially against opponents of FK Sochi's level. A key asset against the home side should be the away team's attacking play. Even on the road, Spartak Moscow create a healthy number of chances and have scored at least twice in 5 of their last 7 away matches in the Premier League.
Prediction: Spartak Moscow to win + Over 1.5 goals
