The Matchday 1 clash of the Russian Premier League between Spartak and Dynamo Makhachkala will take place on July 19 at the Lukoil Arena in Moscow. Spartak vs. Dynamo Makhachkala: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Spartak
The Moscow club finished fourth last season. Spartak remained unbeaten in 23 of their 30 matches (17 wins, 6 draws), yet they were 10 points adrift of the champions. Notably, the team conceded only 25 goals, a record bettered only once since the 1998/99 season (24). Additionally, Dejan Stanković's men kept 17 clean sheets, the highest in the league. In friendly matches, Spartak remained undefeated with three wins and a draw.
The team acquired forward Anton Zabolotny. Forward Theo Bongonda injured his Achilles and will return closer to October.
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The club has not lost in 14 of their last 18 league matches (12 wins, 2 draws).
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At least three goals were scored in 10 of Spartak's last 11 home games in the Premier League.
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The team opened the scoring in 6 of their last 8 home matches in the Premier League.
Predicted lineup for Spartak (4-5-1)
Alexander Maksimenko – Ruslan Litvinov, Daniil Denisov, Xabi Mangas, Srđan Babić – Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco, Christopher Martins, Pablo Solari, Marquinhos – Anton Zabolotny.
Dynamo Makhachkala
In their debut Premier League season, Dynamo Makhachkala finished 11th. Hasanbi Bidzhiev's side was just two points clear of the relegation zone, scoring only 27 goals, with only Fakel having a worse record (14). The team ended the season poorly, failing to win in six consecutive matches (2 draws, 4 losses). This poor run continued in friendlies, with only one draw in four matches.
The team retained its core players, but the departure of midfielder Egas Kasintura was a significant loss.
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Dynamo Makhachkala scored in 6 of their last 8 Premier League matches.
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The club has not won in 9 of their last 10 away matches in this tournament (4 draws, 5 losses).
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Dynamo has conceded at least one goal in their last 6 away matches in the Premier League.
Predicted lineup for Dynamo Makhachkala (4-4-2)
Timur Magomedov – Mutalip Alibekov, Valentin Paltsev, Jemal Tabidze, Mohamed Azzi – Nikita Glushkov, Houssem Mrezig, Temirkan Sundukov, Mohammad Hosseinnezhad – Serder Serderov, Gamid Agalarov.
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. Dynamo Makhachkala
Spartak found it challenging against Dynamo Makhachkala last season. Hasanbi Bidzhiev's side twice took points off Spartak in the league (1:1, 2:1), and in the national Cup group stage, the teams exchanged 1:0 victories. Given that Dynamo underwent minimal changes in the off-season, Spartak could face another tough match.
Spartak ended 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. Before that, Spartak failed to win 4 of their last 5 Premier League matches, securing three points against Akron with a decisive goal in added time.
Dynamo may not boast great away results, but they typically put up a fight. In their last 11 away league matches, they only lost by more than one goal twice. During this stretch, the club managed to secure three points at Lukoil Arena.
My prediction: Dynamo Makhachkala with a +1.5 handicap
