- History: A total of 11 goals were scored in the last head-to-head clash between CSKA Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg, including a 6-5 CSKA win in a Friendly Club Match 2 months ago.
- Home form: CSKA Moscow has won 9, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their 13 home matches in the Premier League 2025-2026, conceding 13 goals at home.
- Away form: Zenit St. Petersburg has won 5, drawn 6 and lost just 2 of their 13 away games in the Premier League 2025-2026, averaging 1.38 goals per game scored and 0.77 goals per game conceded.
Zenit has a solid away record in the 2025/26 Premier League
Second-placed Zenit St. Petersburg (59pts) have only lost two of their 13 Premier League away games in 2025-2026, with 5 wins and 6 draws. Sergei Semak’s side, who have kept consecutive shutouts, are unbeaten in their last two away fixtures, picking up a win and a draw.
Zenit have conceded 0.77 per away match, and scored at a rate of 1.38 per away match.
Sixth-placed CSKA Moscow (45pts) have been unconvincing in their most recent home games, failing to win in their last 2 (D1, L1), with 3 draws on the trot prior to Saturday’s game. Fabio Celestini’s men play a 4-2-3-1 system, pressing their opponents hard in the wide areas and looking to play vertically in numbers, which will likely lead to an end-to-end contest at home to Zenit.
Sides are evenly matched in their recent H2H history
Recent meetings and attacking talent
CSKA Moscow and Zenit have split the spoils across the last five meetings in all competitions, with two wins apiece and one draw. Both of these sides have a wealth of attacking talent, with Danil Krugovoy (5) leading the way in the league for CSKA, while Luciano Gondou has scored 3 of their goals in the past 6.
- In contrast, Maksim Glushenkov has scored 9 goals in 24 Premier League appearances for Zenit, who average 1.38 goals per away match.
Tactical outlook
Zenit have a solid tactical identity and are more consistent under manager Sergey Semak, who has held the reins since 2018. Zenit play a 4-3-3 that is patient, possession-based and looks to dominate the game through a central midfield triangle.
Fabio Celestini has only been CSKA manager since July 2025, but his early work has been to inject a high-tempo, pressing mentality into the team. There has been a clear difference in the way both teams play, and the contrast between them should make for a high-scoring game.
Prediction
Zenit’s superior league position and form of late makes them the favorites to take all three points on Saturday, and their recent away struggles against CSKA Moscow make the odds for an away win look very appealing. We predict over 2.5 goals (2.03) and both teams to score (1.8) in this match, with Zenit coming out on top 2-1.
