The Matchday 12 encounter in the Russian Premier League between Sochi and Zenit will be held on October 19 at the Fisht Stadium. Sochi vs. Zenit: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Sochi
Sochi secured their first victory of the current championship in the last round (2 draws, 8 losses). Before the match with Pari NN (2-1), the team had not scored more than one goal. However, they concede regularly: in 14 of their last 15 Premier League matches. Additionally, the game against Nizhny Novgorod was their worst of the season in terms of yellow cards received – 5 (average 2.7). In the standings, the Southerners remain in last place, but the gap from the safe 12th spot has been reduced to 5 points.
- Sochi conceded at least two goals in 5 of their last 7 Premier League matches.
- At home, the club has not won in 5 of their last 6 RPL matches (1 draw, 4 losses).
- At least three goals were scored in 5 of Sochi's last 7 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Sochi (4-5-1)
Yuri Dyupin – Nemanja Stojic, Yahya Attiyat-Allah, Sergey Volkov, Alexander Soldatenkov – Roman Yezhov, Maxim Mukhin, Ignacio Saavedra, Anton Zinkovsky, Martin Kramaric – Vladimir Ilyin.
Forward Pavel Meleshin is injured.
Zenit
In the last round, Zenit from St. Petersburg could have ended their 6-match unbeaten run in the championship (4 wins, 2 draws), but they were lucky with Tolyatti's missed penalty – 1-1. The club has conceded in the RPL 2025/26 for the seventh time. After a goal fest against Orenburg, Zenit managed only two shots on target against Akron (average 5.8). In the standings, Sergey Semak's team remains in 4th place, but the gap from the leading CSKA has increased to four points.
- The team scored at least twice in 5 of their last 7 Premier League matches.
- Away, Zenit has not won in 5 of their last 6 championship matches (4 draws, 1 loss).
- No more than two goals were scored in 8 of Zenit's last 10 away games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-5-1)
Denis Adamov – Douglas Santos, Vanya Drkusic, Nino, Gustavo Mantuan – Maxim Glushenkov, Wilmar Barrios, Luis Enrique, Wendel, Pedro Enrique – Mateo Cassierra.
Defender Vyacheslav Karavaev and midfielder Gerson are in the team's infirmary.
Referee
Egor Egorov (Russia)
Matches – 5 (RPL, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 20;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 30;
Penalties – 40%.
Match Prediction: Sochi vs. Zenit
Starting from Matchday 10, Zenit faced an easier schedule. In the match against Orenburg, Sergei Semak's team met expectations, but they encountered problems against Akron and almost failed to secure even one point. I believe this result will shake Zenit, and in the upcoming match, the club will not allow any point loss. Moreover, their opponent will be one of the tournament's outsiders, who only achieved their first victory in the last round.
Although Sochi won, Nizhny Novgorod managed to cause problems for the team. Pari NN is just one place above the Southerners. It's worth noting that even such an opponent couldn't be 'shut down' by the team. In terms of the total number of goals conceded, Sochi is the worst in the league, with 15 goals conceded in their last 7 home games in the championship.
Additionally, Zenit has beaten Sochi in 7 of their last 10 RPL meetings, scoring at least two goals in each victory. This is yet another factor supporting the prediction Zenit to win and Total Over 1.5 goals.
