CSKA Moscow V FC Orenburg
Saturday 20th July 2019 – 17:00 Kick-Off
Russian Premier League
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 11/8
Bookmaker: Ladbrokes
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/20 | 31/10 | 67/10 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 18 July, 2019 at 14:00)
Preview: If this fixture is anything like the one from last season, we could be in for plenty of entertainment in the Russian capital. Orenburg produced one of the upsets of the 2018-19 season when turning CSKA Moscow over at their Luzhniki Stadium to win 3-2. Can the visitors cause more problems for their illustrious hosts or will the 13-time Russian champions exact their revenge?
Russian Premier League betting at 22Bet
CSKA Moscow Preview – Another win to nil for former champions?
The warning signs were there, I simply didn’t heed them. After a disappointing 2018-19 Russian Premier League in which they finished outside the Champions League places in fourth, and with performances not up to standard in the pre-season friendlies, CSKA begun the new campaign with what turned out to be the heaviest defeat of the opening weekend. A 2-0 defeat away to Kryliya Sovetov has them propping up the league in stone last.
Fortunately they are back at home on this occasion, although not even that will guarantee them a change in fortunes. Particularly as this fixture also brought them very little to shout about last season. A 3-2 loss in the corresponding meeting was one of four suffered at home (W8 D3 L4, GF31 GA13), although it does remain their only defeat inside their Luzhniki Stadium since October of last year (W6 D2 L1).
So they should be fairly confident about atoning for last week’s miserable display at Sovetov, back at a ground where they collected slightly more points (27 compared with 24) and scored with greater consistency last term (31 compared to 15 away). Seven of their eight victories as hosts were accompanied by a clean sheet, and that could be one way of supporting them from a betting perspective. A CSKA win to nil is 6/5 with Bet365.
Whether they even win is up for the debate, because the loss on the opening weekend was a continuation of what had been an alarming spell of results in the warm up games. There were defeats to Krasnodar (1-0), Spartak Moscow (3-1) and FC Rostov (1-2) before stopping the rot the beat Rubin Kazan (4-0).
Orenburg Preview – Can the underdogs match last term’s shock outcome?
As a newly promoted side, FC Orenburg surpassed all expectations with their 7th-place finish in the last campaign, comfortably avoiding any relegation uncertainty as a result and only narrowly missing out on a top-six finish that would have earned them a shot at Europa League qualification. Matching those achievements second time around won’t be straightforward, with the team already beginning the new term on a losing note.
To lose 2-1 away to Rostov will have felt bitterly disappointing, as that was a team against whom they collected maximum points from in the previous campaign. The calendar hasn’t been kind on them either, as they’ve been handed a second consecutive away trip to begin the season. Although this particular venture does hold rather fond memories for them.
One of the highlights of last season was a stunning 3-2 victory away to CSKA Moscow. That was their only triumph away to one of the established teams in the division; losing at Spartak Moscow (1-0), Lokomotiv Moscow (2-1) and Zenit (3-1). It remains to be seen whether that was a fluke or not, but it was one of five victories earned on their travels. Meanwhile, only FC Krasnodar scored with more regularity away from home than Orenburg (21). Coral offer 21/20 on Over 0.5 Orenburg goals.
Unlike their matchday opponents, Orenburg’s displays in the warm up fixtures were a whole lot more reassuring. After beginning with a 1-0 defeat to Romanian champions CFR Cluj (0-1), Vladimir Fedotov’s players went unbeaten against Univ. Craiova (1-1), Cracovia (W0-1), FC Copenhagen (W2-0) and Dinamo Zagreb (2-2).
CSKA Moscow V Orenburg Key Facts:
- CSKA Moscow secured 7 of their 8 league victories on home soil last season by keeping a clean sheet.
- Just one team scored more away goals last season than Orenburg (21).
- These teams traded away wins in the previous term: CSKA winning 1-0 at Orenburg and Orenburg returning the favour in Moscow by winning 3-2.
Betting Summary
CSKA had a knack of beating sides whilst keeping a clean sheet, doing so on seven of the eight occasions they were victorious at home. One of those games, however, was not Orenburg, who threw that particular script out the window when winning 3-2 in Moscow back in April. Orenburg failed to score just 20% of the time in away matches, with only one team bettering their rate of 1.47 goals-per-game in such fixtures.
Moreover, Orenburg scored away to Arsenal Tula (2), Lokomotiv Moscow (1), Krasnodar (2), Zenit (1) and, of course, CSKA (3) last season. Teams that finished above them in the table, while each of those games produced both teams to score. With CSKA typically more obliging at home, this could be another fun encounter.
