The first leg of the Russian Cup 2025/26 RPL Path quarter-final between Zenit and Dynamo Moscow will take place on November 5 at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg. Zenit vs. Dynamo Moscow: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Zenit
Zenit finished the group stage with a perfect record, capping it off with a resounding 6-0 victory over Orenburg. They were the only team to achieve a 100% record and led all participants with 19 goals scored. Last season, the club reached the semi-finals of the RPL Path.
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Zenit's last 6 Russian Cup games.
- The club has a streak of 9 home victories in this tournament.
- Zenit has kept a clean sheet in 11 of their last 13 home matches in the national cup.
Projected Zenit Lineup (4-4-2)
Evgeny Latyshonok – Vanya Drkusic, Nuraly Alip, Arsen Adamov, Yuri Gorshkov – Gerson, Alexander Erokhin, Vadim Shilov, Daniil Kondakov – Andrey Mostovoy, Alexander Sobolev.
Injuries: Defenders Douglas Santos, Vyacheslav Karavaev, and forward Mateo Cassierra are sidelined.
Dynamo Moscow
The Moscow club secured second place in their group. Valery Karpin's side remained unbeaten in regular time in 5 of their 6 matches (3 wins, 2 draws), finishing three points ahead of their nearest rival. Among the second-place teams, Dynamo boasted the best goal-scoring record with 11 goals. Notably, in the past two seasons, they reached the Russian Cup semi-finals, once advancing through the lower bracket.
- At least one opponent failed to score in Dynamo's last 5 national cup games.
- The team has not lost in regular time in 6 of their last 8 away matches in this tournament (3 wins, 3 draws).
- Dynamo has scored no more than once in 5 of their last 6 away Russian Cup games.
Projected Dynamo Moscow Lineup (4-5-1)
Igor Leschuk – Nicolas Marichal, Rubens Dias, Juan Caceres, Roberto Fernandez – Danil Glebov, Viktor Okishor, Ulvi Babaev, Daniil Fomin, Yaroslav Gladyshev – Konstantin Tyukavin.
Injuries: Defenders Bakhtiyor Zainutdinov, Milan Majstorovic, forwards Denis Makarov, Artur Gomes, and midfielders Danil Glebov, Anton Miranchuk, Luis Chavez are out.
Referee
Egor Egorov (Russia)
Matches – 5 (Russian Cup, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 17;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 60%.
Zenit vs. Dynamo Moscow: Match Prediction
The teams met in Saint Petersburg in the league 10 days ago, with Zenit claiming a 2-1 victory. The scoreline could have been more lopsided, but Kurban Rasulov's outstanding performance, with 9 saves, kept it close. Even with potential lineup rotations, a different outcome seems unlikely in the upcoming clash.
Sergei Semak's side navigated the group stage flawlessly. At home, Zenit has been dominant in the Russian Cup, winning 9 consecutive matches. Moreover, Zenit has defeated Dynamo in 11 of their last 13 official home meetings.
Dynamo consistently outperforms lower-ranked opponents in the national cup away games but struggles against more prestigious teams. Given their current league struggles, Valery Karpin's side is unlikely to exert full effort against a challenging opponent.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total over 1.5 goals
