The Matchday 1 clash of the MIR RPL between Spartak and Dinamo Makhachkala will take place on July 19 at the Lukoil Arena in Moscow. Spartak vs. Dinamo Makhachkala: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Spartak
The Moscow club finished fourth last season. Spartak avoided defeat in 23 of 30 matches (17 wins, 6 draws) but trailed the champion by 10 points. Notably, the team conceded only 25 goals, and a better record was last achieved by the Moscow side in the 1998/99 season (24). Additionally, Dejan Stanković's team kept 17 clean sheets, more than any other team. Spartak went unbeaten in their friendlies, recording three wins and a draw.
Among the team's acquisitions is forward Anton Zabolotny. Forward Theo Bongonda suffered an Achilles injury and is expected to return closer to October.
- The club has not lost in 14 of its last 18 league matches (12 wins, 2 draws).
- At least three goals were scored in 10 of the last 11 home games of the Moscow side in the RPL.
- The team opened the scoring in 6 of the last 8 home matches in the Premier League.
Predicted lineup for Spartak (4-3-3)
Alexander Maksimenko – Ruslan Litvinov, Oleg Ryabchuk, Daniil Khlusevich, Srđan Babić – Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco, Christopher Martins – Manfred Ugalde, Pablo Solari, Anton Zabolotny.
Dinamo Makhachkala
In their debut season in the Premier League, the Makhachkala team finished in 11th place. Hasanbi Bidzhiyev's side was only two points clear of the relegation zone, with Dinamo scoring just 27 goals, a tally bettered only by Fakel (14). The team struggled towards the end of the tournament, failing to win in six consecutive matches (2 draws, 4 losses). The poor form continued in friendlies, where they managed only one draw in four matches.
The team retained its core players, with the main loss being midfielder Egas Cacintura.
- The Makhachkala side scored in 6 of their last 8 RPL matches.
- The club has not won in 9 of its last 10 away matches in this tournament (4 draws, 5 losses).
- Dinamo has conceded at least one goal in 6 consecutive away matches in the Premier League.
Predicted lineup for Dinamo Makhachkala (3-4-3)
Timur Magomedov – Mutalip Alibekov, Valentin Paltsev, Jemal Tabidze – Mohamed Azzi, Nikita Glushkov, Ussem Mrezig, Temirkan Sundukov – Serder Serderov, Gamid Agalarov, Rajab Magomedov.
Referee
Vasily Kazartsev (Russia)
Matches – 13 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 59;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 23%.
Match Prediction: Spartak vs. Dinamo Makhachkala
The Moscow club had tough encounters with the Makhachkala side last season. In the league, Hasanbi Bidzhiyev's team took points off Spartak twice (1:1, 2:1), and in the group stage of the national cup, the opponents exchanged victories with an identical score of 1:0. Given that Dinamo underwent minimal changes in the off-season, Spartak might face another challenging match.
Spartak finished last season with victories over Krylia Sovetov (2:0), who were in a difficult position, and Khimki (5:0), who eventually disappeared from the Russian football map. Prior to this, the Moscow side did not win in 4 of their last 5 RPL matches, securing three points against Akron thanks to a decisive goal in added time.
Dinamo cannot boast good results on the road, but the team usually puts up a fight against opponents. In their last 11 away league matches, the Makhachkala side lost by more than one goal only twice. During this stretch, the club managed to earn three points at Lukoil Arena.
My prediction: Dinamo Makhachkala with a handicap (+1.5)
