The Matchday 11 clash in the Russian Premier League between Akron and Zenit will take place on October 4 at the Solidarity Samara Arena. Akron vs. Zenit: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akron
In the previous round, the team suffered a 0-3 defeat away to Akhmat. This was Tolyatti's first heavy loss in the current championship and their fifth since the tournament began. Notably, Zaur Tedeev's side has been conceding goals for eight consecutive games in the Premier League, ranking among the bottom four clubs for clean sheets with just one. However, Akron has found the net in 15 of their last 17 RPL matches. In the standings, the team sits in 14th place.
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Akron's last 6 championship games.
- The club has not won at home in their last 6 Premier League matches (3 draws, 3 losses).
- In 5 of their last 6 home games in this tournament, Akron has not scored more than once.
Predicted lineup for Akron (4-5-1)
Vitaly Gudiev – Roberto Fernandez, Ionuts Nedelcharu, Rodrigo Eshkoval, Dmitry Pestriakov – Soltmurad Bakaev, Edgar Sevikyan, Konstantin Maradishvili, Stefan Loncar, Kristijan Bistrovic – Artem Dzyuba.
Midfielders Maxim Boldyrev and Aleksa Djurasovic are sidelined with injuries.
Zenit
Maxim Glushenkov's four-goal haul helped Zenit thrash Orenburg 5-2 in the last round. Sergei Semak's side ended a four-match goalless run in the RPL, but the team has scored at least two goals in five of their last six championship matches. During this period, Zenit has collected 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws). Additionally, the club recorded their best figures of the season against Orenburg with 11 shots on target (average of 5.6). In the main standings, Zenit climbed to 4th place, narrowing the gap to leaders Krasnodar to two points.
- At least one opponent has failed to score in 5 of Zenit's last 7 Premier League matches.
- The team has not won away in 4 of their last 5 league games (3 draws, 1 loss).
- In 11 of their last 13 away matches in this tournament, the club has scored exactly 1 or 2 goals.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-5-1)
Denis Adamov – Douglas Santos, Nuraly Alip, Nino, Gustavo Mantuan – Maxim Glushenkov, Wilmar Barrios, Luis Enrique, Wendel, Pedro Enrique – Mateo Cassierra.
Defender Vyacheslav Karavaev is injured. Midfielder Gerson is not yet ready for official games.
Referee
Sergey Tsyganok (Russia)
Matches – 7 (RPL, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 27;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 71%.
Match Prediction: Akron vs. Zenit
Tolyatti collected 6 of their 7 points in the first four rounds, after which their results declined. Zaur Tedeev's side has lost 5 of their last 6 Premier League matches. Opponents in this stretch have been tough, and the upcoming rival is a title contender. Moreover, Zenit has gained momentum, winning 4 of their last 5 RPL games, dropping points only in a match against a resilient Baltika. Zaur Tedeev's team is far from Kaliningrad's level.
Akron's defense ranks among the tournament's worst, conceding at least two goals in six consecutive championship matches. With such performances, Tolyatti is unlikely to contain Zenit's attack, which has started to show the expected level of scoring. In their last six RPL matches, Zenit failed to score only against the aforementioned Baltika, while all other opponents conceded at least twice.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total Over 1.5
