The Matchday 9 clash in the Russian Premier League between Sochi and CSKA will take place on September 22 at the Fisht Stadium. Sochi vs. CSKA: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Sochi
In the last round, the team suffered a 0-2 away defeat to Krylia Sovetov. This marked Sochi's fourth consecutive loss in the championship, with the team conceding at least two goals in each of these matches. Moreover, Sochi is the only team in the RPL 2025/26 without a clean sheet, having failed to keep their net intact for 12 consecutive Premier League games. With just one point, the team is at the bottom of the table, trailing the 12th safe spot by 7 points.
- The club has conceded first in their last 10 Premier League matches.
- Sochi has failed to win in 8 of their last 10 home league games (5 draws, 3 losses).
- The team has scored against their upcoming opponent in 8 of their last 9 encounters in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Sochi (4-5-1)
Alexander Degtev – Kirill Zaika, Nabil Aberdin, Sergey Volkov, Alexander Soldatenkov – Yahya Attiyat-Allah, Alexander Kovalenko, Anton Zinkovsky, Martin Kramaric, Kirill Kravtsov – Zakhar Fedorov.
Forward Pavel Meleshin, midfielder Mikhail Ignatov, and defender Artem Makarchuk are injured.
CSKA
CSKA's unbeaten streak of 21 matches in the RPL came to an end against Rostov. In November 2024, the team suffered a home defeat to Rostov, marking their first league loss since then. Failing to score (0-1), CSKA also went without a goal for the first time in their last 7 RPL games. The team managed just two shots on target, with an average total of 5.1. Following the loss, CSKA dropped to 4th place in the standings.
- Both teams scored in 6 of CSKA's last 7 Premier League matches.
- The team has not lost in 15 of their last 16 away league games (9 wins, 6 draws).
- CSKA has conceded at least one goal in 6 of their last 7 away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for CSKA (4-4-2)
Igor Akinfeev – Moises Barbosa, Igor Diveev, Matvey Lukin, Joao Victor – Daniel Ruiz, Matvey Kislyak, Ivan Oblyakov, Danil Krugovoy – Artem Shumansky, Tamerlan Musaev.
Forward Kirill Glebov is injured. Defender Milan Gajic and midfielder Mateus Alves are suspended.
Referee
Aleksey Sukhoi (Russia)
Matches – 21 (RPL, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 99;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 43%.
Match Prediction: Sochi vs. CSKA
The immediate arrival of Igor Osinkin did not change much. In their first match with the new coach, Sochi suffered another routine defeat, their 7th in the current championship. Notably, in all the lost matches, the team conceded at least twice. Defense is indeed one of Sochi's weak spots, as the club has already conceded over 20 goals. Additionally, the team has failed to keep a clean sheet for 12 RPL games.
CSKA finished their last game with two players sent off. Otherwise, they could have extended their unbeaten run. The last time CSKA lost two consecutive league matches was in the 2022/23 season. Moreover, the team is currently the third highest-scoring club in this championship.
The visitors should earn points in this match, but I would caution against betting on a straightforward victory. CSKA will be without three key players, and they have only won once in their last five visits to Sochi in the RPL. My prediction: CSKA will not lose and Total over 1.5 goals
