The Matchday 6 clash in the Russian Premier League between Zenit and Dynamo Makhachkala will take place on August 23 at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg. Zenit vs. Dynamo Makhachkala: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Zenit
Sergei Semak's side shared the spoils with Spartak in their last away match (2-2). The St. Petersburg team has been unable to secure a victory in their last four league matches (3 draws, 1 loss), conceding in every match of the RPL 2025/26 season. It's worth noting that only Sochi has yet to keep a clean sheet. With six points, Zenit is currently in eighth place in the standings, and they are the most disciplined team in the league, having received only seven yellow cards.
- The club conceded first in four of their last five Premier League matches.
- At home, Zenit has won six of their last seven league matches (1 draw).
- In five of their last seven home games in this tournament, the St. Petersburg team scored at least two goals.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-5-1)
Denis Adamov – Roman Vega, Strahinja Erakovic, Nuraly Alip, Gustavo Mantuan – Gerson Santos, Wilmar Barrios, Wendel, Luis Henrique, Andrey Mostovoy – Alexander Sobolev.
Defenders Vyacheslav Karavaev and Nino are in the team's infirmary. Their colleague Douglas Santos will miss the match due to suspension.
- Zenit ranks third in entries into the opponent's penalty area – 87.
- The team averages 524 passes per match – the best in the league.
- The team has the highest success rate in dribbles – 66%.
Dynamo Makhachkala
Makhachkala lost 0-2 to Pari NN in the last round. Hasanbi Bidzhiyev's side has won only one of their last 11 league matches (4 draws, 6 losses), but in eight of those matches, the team conceded no more than one goal. In this championship, Dynamo has conceded only five goals, with fewer goals conceded only by Krasnodar (3) and CSKA (4). However, the club is in 12th place in the main standings.
- The team has scored in five of their last seven RPL matches.
- Away from home, Makhachkala has been unable to win in six Premier League matches (2 draws, 4 losses).
- Dynamo has conceded exactly one or two goals in their last eight away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Dynamo Makhachkala (4-5-1)
Timur Magomedov – Temirkan Sundukov, Mohamed Azzi, Jemal Tabidze, Valentin Paltsev – Nikita Glushkov, Ussem Mrezig, Mohammadjavad Hosseinejad, Rajab Magomedov, Mehdi El-Mubarik – Gamid Agalarov.
Defender Yan Djapo is in the team's infirmary.
Referee
Pavel Kukuyan (Russia)
Matches – 19 (RPL, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 82;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 6;
Average fouls per match – 29;
Penalties – 26%.
Zenit vs. Dynamo Makhachkala: Match Prediction
A team of Zenit's caliber should not complain about the schedule, yet their opponents at the start of the tournament have indeed been quite challenging. Nonetheless, at home in the RPL 2025/26, Sergei Semak's side has collected four points in two matches, with a draw against CSKA in the third round ending a six-match home winning streak. The St. Petersburg team is unlikely to be keen on dropping points against a less dangerous opponent. However, defeating Dynamo will not be easy.
While Makhachkala may not shine in terms of results, the team rarely allows opponents to dominate in attack. Before the game against Pari NN, Hasanbi Bidzhiyev's side had not conceded more than one goal in eight Premier League matches. Even one of the goals by Nizhny Novgorod could be considered a goalkeeper's error. Nevertheless, even such a reliable defense does not allow them to consistently earn points: Dynamo has lost six of their last nine away matches in the RPL.
Last season, the St. Petersburg team won both head-to-head encounters against Makhachkala (2-1, 1-0). I expect a similar result this time. My prediction: Zenit win and Total under 3.5 goals
