The Matchday 1 clash in the Russian Premier League between Zenit and Rostov will take place on July 20 at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg. Zenit vs. Rostov: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Zenit
After six consecutive championship titles, Zenit finished second last season, just one point behind Krasnodar. Despite a nine-match unbeaten run at the end of the tournament (7 wins, 2 draws), they couldn't catch up with the southern team. Notably, Sergey Semak's side had the most reliable defense, conceding only 18 goals. Zenit also excelled in away games, where they earned half of their 66 points. During the off-season, the club played seven friendly matches, winning six and losing one.
Among the team's acquisitions ahead of the new season are defender Roman Vega and midfielder Gerson.
- In 5 of their last 6 Premier League matches, Zenit opened the scoring.
- Zenit has a streak of 5 home victories in this tournament.
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in their last 6 home RPL matches.
- Zenit had the highest number of accurate key passes last season – 145.
- Zenit had the highest successful dribble percentage in the RPL 2024/25 – 63%.
- On average, the club created an xG of 2.36 – the highest in the tournament.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-5-1)
Evgeny Latyshonok – Ramon Vega, Strahinja Erakovic, Nino, Gustavo Mantuan – Douglas Santos, Wilmar Barrios, Maxim Glushenkov, Pedro Henrique, Luis Henrique – Mateo Cassierra.
Rostov
Last season, Rostov finished eighth, their lowest position in the last three years. The team couldn't achieve more due to a poor finish, winning only once in their last eight RPL matches (3 draws, 4 losses). Additionally, the club conceded 43 goals, with only Rubin having a worse record among the top half of the table with 45. Rostov had a chance to redeem themselves, but they lost to CSKA in the national cup final.
The team's main losses in the off-season were defender Maxim Osipenko and forward Nikolai Komlichenko. Among the incoming transfers is forward Timur Suleymanov. Defender Umar Sako will miss the match due to a suspension from the last round of the previous season.
- Rostov has not scored more than one goal in 7 of their last 8 RPL matches.
- The team has not lost in 8 of their last 10 away games in this tournament (4 wins, 4 draws).
- In 9 of their last 10 away matches in the championship, the club conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals.
Predicted lineup for Rostov (4-3-3)
Rustam Yatimov – Viktor Melekhin, Ilya Vakhania, Danila Prokhin, Andrey Langovich – Konstantin Kuchaev, Kirill Shchetinin, Khoren Bayramyan – Egor Golenkov, Timur Suleymanov, Ronaldo.
Referee
Rafael Shafeev (Russia)
Matches – 7 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 18;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.6;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 29%.
Zenit vs. Rostov: Match Prediction
Zenit ended last season without a single trophy. For a team accustomed to dominating in recent years, this was a significant blow to their pride. It is clear that in the upcoming championship, Sergey Semak's team will be highly motivated. Zenit's management is not sparing resources to achieve their goals, evidenced by the acquisition of Gerson, the most expensive transfer in Russia this off-season. I am confident the team will start the new tournament with a victory. Moreover, Zenit has won 5 consecutive home matches in the RPL, scoring 14 goals in the process.
Zenit is a very challenging opponent for Rostov. In Saint Petersburg, the club has failed to win in 11 consecutive league meetings, suffering 8 defeats during this period. Rostov has conceded fewer than 2 goals only once in this stretch. Compared to last season, Rostov has not strengthened, making it very difficult for them to expect a positive outcome.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total Over 1.5 goals
