The Matchday 7 clash in the Russian Premier League between CSKA and Krasnodar will take place on August 31 at the VEB Arena in Moscow. CSKA vs. Krasnodar: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
CSKA
The Moscow club defeated Akron 3-1 at home in the last round, securing their fourth win in their last five league matches (1 draw). However, CSKA has conceded in all these encounters. The team's attack compensates for their defensive issues, as they have scored 14 goals, trailing only two opponents in this regard. Fabio Celestini's side has climbed to 2nd place in the standings, just one point behind Krasnodar. It's worth noting that CSKA had only one corner against Tolyatti, with an average individual total of 4.2.
- Both teams scored in 6 of CSKA's last 8 Premier League matches.
- The club has a 5-match winning streak at home in this tournament.
- CSKA has scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 8 home league games.
Predicted lineup for CSKA (4-4-2)
Igor Akinfeev – Moises Barbosa, Igor Diveev, Matvey Lukin, Milan Gajic – Mateus Alves, Matvey Kislyak, Ivan Oblyakov, Danil Krugovoy – Tamerlan Musaev, Kirill Glebov.
Midfielder Rodrigo Villagra is injured. Forward Alerandro has recovered from an injury.
Krasnodar
Krasnodar thrashed Krylia Sovetov 6-0 in the last round, matching the club's record victory. Murad Musaev's side secured their fourth consecutive league win, conceding only one goal during this run. Moreover, the team leads in clean sheets for the 2025/26 RPL season (4). Krasnodar also tops the overall standings.
- The club has scored in 8 consecutive Premier League matches.
- In 7 of their last 9 away games in this tournament, Krasnodar has not conceded more than one goal.
- At least one goal has been scored in both halves in 5 of Krasnodar's last 7 away league matches.
Predicted lineup for Krasnodar (4-4-2)
Stanislav Agkatsev – Giovanni Gonzalez, Diego Costa, Vitor Tormena, Sergey Petrov – Eduard Spertsyan, Alexander Chernikov, Gaetan Perrin, Nikita Krivtsov – Victor Sa, John Cordoba.
Defender Lucas Olasa and forward Gustavo Furtado are injured.
Referee
Rafael Shafeev (Russia)
Matches – 10 (RPL, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 34;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 30%.
Match Prediction: CSKA vs. Krasnodar
Bookmakers found it difficult to pick a favorite in this matchup. CSKA has the advantage in head-to-head encounters and the home-field factor. However, they will face the champions, who are also leading the current tournament. Typically, matches between these teams do not see many goals, but this time, I expect a high-scoring affair.
After a goalless draw in the first round, CSKA has scored at least two goals in 4 of their last 5 RPL matches. However, Fabio Celestini's side has not kept a clean sheet in this period. The head coach emphasizes attacking football, and CSKA is improving in this regard with each game. CSKA also leads the league in terms of creating goal-scoring opportunities.
Krasnodar is the most prolific team in the current championship. The last two rounds have certainly helped, with Murad Musaev's side scoring 11 goals. Nonetheless, Krasnodar also boasts the most reliable defense, but they conceded two goals against Lokomotiv, a team comparable to CSKA.
My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
