The Matchday 4 clash in the Russian Premier League between Akhmat and Zenit will take place on August 9 at the Akhmat Arena in Grozny. Akhmat vs. Zenit: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akhmat
The Grozny side suffered another defeat in their third league match, this time against Dynamo Makhachkala (0-1). Akhmat has lost 7 of their last 9 matches in the Premier League (2 draws) and has conceded in every game during this stretch. The team has only scored one goal in the RPL 2025/26 season. However, the club's activity cannot be denied: 49 shots on target is the best record in the tournament. In the main standings, Grozny occupies the 13th spot.
The first managerial change of the championship occurred at Akhmat, with Alexander Storozhuk leaving his post. Stanislav Cherchesov has been appointed as the new head coach.
- In 8 of their last 9 Premier League matches, the team has not scored more than one goal.
- At home, Grozny has not lost in 7 of their last 8 RPL matches (3 wins, 4 draws).
- The club has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 5 of their last 6 games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Akhmat (4-5-1)
Giorgi Shelia – Turpal-Ali Ibishov, Maxim Sidorov, Miroslav Bogosavac, Nader Ghandri – Egash Kasintura, Lechi Sadulaev, Ismael Silva, Manuel Kelianu, Maxim Samorodov – Mohamed Konate.
Forward Brian Mansilla is injured.
Zenit
Sergey Semak's side dropped points in two consecutive matches, drawing with Rubin (2-2) and CSKA (1-1). Nevertheless, the team's unbeaten run in the championship has reached 12 games (8 wins, 4 draws), and their scoring streak extends to 14 matches. However, Zenit has conceded in all three games at the start of the tournament. In the main standings, the club occupies the 7th place.
- Zenit has scored exactly 1 goal in 5 of their last 6 away games in the Premier League.
- In 8 of their last 10 away matches in the RPL, the team has not conceded more than one goal.
- Zenit has defeated their upcoming opponent in 7 of their last 9 head-to-head meetings in this tournament (1 draw, 1 loss).
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-5-1)
Evgeny Latyshonok – Douglas Santos, Vanja Drkusic, Nino, Gustavo Mantuan – Gerson Santos, Wilmar Barrios, Wendel, Pedro Enrique, Andrey Mostovoy – Mateo Cassierra.
Defender Vyacheslav Karavaev is injured. Forward Luis Enrique has returned to full training.
- Douglas Santos has the highest number of entries into the final third via passes – 20.
- Zenit leads in the number of created scoring chances – 22.
- The team ranks third in accurate passes into the penalty area – 59.
Referee
Evgeny Bulanov (Russia)
Matches – 5 (RPL, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 18;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.6;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 0%.
Akhmat vs. Zenit: Match Prediction
The management of Grozny did not tolerate the team's poor results. Akhmat did not look hopeless, but something was missing in each match, resulting in three defeats. We can also recall the cup match where the team lost again, and the opponent was Zenit. Sergey Semak made significant squad rotations in that game, while Grozny's roster included key players.
Zenit generally plays well against Akhmat and has won 7 consecutive official head-to-head meetings. Moreover, Grozny has only defeated Zenit once in their history within the championship. The hosts are without the head coach who prepared them for the season, and now the team faces a challenging period of adapting to new demands. Meanwhile, Zenit remains stable in this regard and delivers results even without the most expressive play.
My prediction: Zenit to win
