The Matchday 6 clash in the Russian Premier League between Sochi and Baltika will take place on August 24 at the Fisht Stadium. Sochi vs. Baltika: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Sochi
Roberto Moreno's side suffered a 1-5 defeat away to Krasnodar in the last round. This marks the team's fourth loss in the current championship, with three of those being heavy defeats. Sochi has only one point and currently sits at the bottom of the table. However, it's worth noting that Sochi has managed to score in their last three RPL matches, averaging just 2.2 shots on target, the lowest in the league.
- At least three goals have been scored in 7 of Sochi's last 9 league matches.
- The team has conceded in 12 of their last 14 home games in the Premier League.
- Sochi has not lost in 7 of their last 9 home matches in the RPL (2 wins, 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Sochi (4-5-1)
Alexander Dyogtev – Kirill Zaika, Artem Makarchuk, Sergey Volkov, Vyacheslav Litvinov – Ignacio Saavedra, Dmitry Vasilyev, Anton Zinkovsky, Martin Kramaric, Kirill Kravtsov – Saul Guarirapa.
Forward Pavel Meleshin and defender Ruslan Magal are injured. Defender Marcelo Alves will miss the game due to suspension.
Baltika
The Kaliningrad side became only the fourth team to be promoted from the FNL and remain unbeaten in their first five Premier League rounds. In their last match, Andrey Talalaev's men drew 1-1 at home with Lokomotiv. With nine points (2 wins, 3 draws), the team is in 5th place in the standings. However, Baltika has kept a clean sheet in only one match. On the positive side, their attacking prowess is evident with 9 goals scored, a tally surpassed by only four other teams.
- Baltika's scoring streak in the RPL stands at 13 matches.
- The team has not won in 5 of their last 6 away games in the Premier League (2 draws, 3 losses).
- Baltika has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 7 of their last 9 away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Baltika (4-5-1)
Maxim Borisko – Sergey Varatynov, Kevin Andrade, Nathan Gassama, Mingiyan Beveev – Vladislav Saus, Yuri Kovalev, Ilya Petrov, Nikolay Titkov, Maxim Petrov – Bryan Gil.
The squad has been bolstered by the addition of midfielder Irakli Manelov. His fellow midfielder Andrey Mendel was substituted in the last match due to injury.
Referee
Anton Frolov (Russia)
Matches – 6 (RPL, 2021/22 - 2022/23);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 18;
Penalties – 50%.
Match Prediction: Sochi vs. Baltika
The meeting of the FNL graduates doesn't bode well for Sochi. Roberto Moreno's men have only managed to secure one point against a struggling Dynamo Moscow. The team has already conceded 15 goals, and their attack hasn't been able to compensate for defensive lapses. Sochi has created only 10 scoring chances, the worst in the tournament. In comparison, Baltika's figure is three times higher. Additionally, Sochi has not won in 5 of their last 6 home matches in the RPL (3 draws, 2 losses).
Baltika became the first team to take points from Lokomotiv in the current championship. Moreover, Baltika is among the top three clubs that have not yet lost in the RPL 2025/26. Andrey Talalaev's side looks strong in attack and allows little at their own end.
In the last season of the First League, Baltika claimed 4 points against Sochi. Baltika has a good chance of achieving a positive result this time as well. My prediction: Baltika with a handicap (0)
