Spartak Moscow take on Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier League on Monday evening, with a win for the home side moving them to within just two points of their opponents. However, with Zenit having lost just twice all season long, Roberto Mancini’s men will be hoping to keep up the pressure on Lokomotiv Moscow ahead of them.
Russian Premier League – Otkrytie Arena, Moscow – Monday 27th November – 16:30 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Ladbrokes |
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FK Spartak Moskau
Zenit St PetersburgMatch Preview
Monday night’s meeting between Spartak Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg could well have a significant baring on the Russian Premier League standings, with little separating the two teams before kick-off. With both teams heading into the clash in good form too, those looking to place a bet on the match certainly face a tricky decision. With Spartak having the best attacking record in the division and Zenit the tightest defence, many are predicting a hard fought battle at the Otkrytie Arena. Let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as providing our top betting tip for the tie.
Spartak Moscow Team News & Form
Spartak Moscow come into this match off to back of two successive victories in Russia, with their win over Krasnodar also stretching their unbeaten run to five matches. The reigning Russian champions certainly appear to have rediscovered their top form after a difficult start to the campaign, with the likes of Quincy Promes and Luiz Adriano having been crucial to such a turnaround. Despite having conceded 22 goals already this season, the fact that Spartak have the best goalscoring record in the league mean that they are certain to be a test for the Zenit backline on Monday. On-loan Chelsea midfielder Mario Pasalic could well line up for the home side.
Zenit St. Petersburg Team News & Form
As for the visitors, a 5-0 win over Tosno means that Mancini’s men remain just three points of the league leaders, with Zenit’s defensive prowess having served them well all season. The likes of Captain Domenico Criscito and Aleksandr Anyukov have been regulars for the Russian giants in the back line, while summer signings Leandro Parades and Emiliano Rigoni have also starred. Meanwhile, Aleksandr Kokorin is the leading scorer in the Russian Premier League with nine goals to his name so far this season.
Head to Head
The two teams have met 27 times in the past, with Zenit St. Petersburg having won 10 of such encounters to date, as well as registering nine draws. However, Spartak defeated Zenit 2-1 at home last season, before being on the wrong end of a 5-1 loss in the reverse fixture.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite being behind their opponents in the league table,it perhaps comes as a surprise that it is Spartak Moscow who go into the match as the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The hosts can be backed at odds of 13/8 with PaddyPower, while those looking to bet on an away win for Zenit can take advantage of 17/10 odds from the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams scoring during the 90 minutes, which can be found at best odds of 4/6 with Ladbrokes.