Zenit vs CSKA Moscow Betting Tip: Both To Score – 19 August 2020

Confident early showings hints at goals in Saint Petersburg

Kirill Nababkin / CSKA Moscow ©imago images / ITAR-TASS 08/15/2020

Russian Federation Zenit Vs CSKA Moscow Russian Federation

Wednesday 19 August 2020 – 18:00 Kick-Off
Russian Premier League
Pick: Both Teams To Score
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 16 August 2020)

Preview: It is first against second in Russia, as the Premier League hots up nice and early. Can CSKA Moscow finally end their nine-year drought in this fixture or will Zenit, league winners for the past two seasons, flex their muscles inside their Gazprom Arena once more?

Russian Premier League Betting at 22Bet

 

Zenit Preview – Champs confident of extending lengthy unbeaten run?

A satisfactory start to the season for Zenit (1st – W2 D0 L0), who are the current national champions. Their recent capture of the Russian Super Cup, beating Lokomotiv Moscow 2-1 in the annual curtain raiser for the new league season, has very quickly been followed by successive 2-0 wins against a freshly promoted Rotor Volgograd and an FC Rostov outfit which came home in fifth place last time around.

The latter victory may have pleased them most. Rostov were formidable customers inside their own stadium in 2019-20, while Zenit had only managed one win there in five prior visits. Make that two in two after Sunday’s gritty display at Rostov Arena, as goals from Sardar Azmoun and Dejan Lovren, either side of a red card for defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy, maintained their perfect start.

Zenit are now up to 21 matches without losing in the Premier League, a staggering streak made all the more impressive by having won 17 times. Returning to their Gazprom Arena for the first time since the season got underway, the likelihood being Sergei Semak’s men can extend that run here: the 2018-19 and 2019-20 champions remained unbeaten at home in the latter (W10 D5), winning each of the last four.

 

Zenit WIN & Both To Score
10/3

Bet365

 

CSKA Moscow Preview – A statement win to consolidate promising season start?

With the disappointment of last season’s near miss in the club’s pursuit of Champions League still fresh in their memories, CSKA Moscow (2nd – W2 D0 L0) have gotten their act together early in an effort to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated over the forthcoming campaign. Back-to-back wins, admittedly against inferior sides in the shape of Khimki and FC Tambov, the ideal platform from which to truly kick-on.

Next up, however, is the toughest assignment of arguably the entire season as they prepare to take on the reigning title holders. CSKA haven’t recorded a victory in the league in Saint Petersburg for almost an entire decade, despite having had nine attempts to do so, though they can take heart from the fact three of the past four seasons has seen them manage to avoid defeat at the Gazprom Arena (D3 L1).

Manager Viktor Goncharenko is fast approaching four years at the helm and, following on from a strong finish to the previous campaign, in which his team chalked up four wins and only one defeat through the final seven matches (W4 D2 L1), there is a growing belief that this team can realistically challenge again. The Red-Blues were also among the strongest travellers last time around (W7 D4 L4).

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Zenit Vs CSKA Moscow Betting Advice

An opportunity to lay down an early marker for both sides, but particularly for an aspiring CKSA Moscow who know a big performance here would go a long way to instilling belief into the ranks. A draw might be the best they can hope for though: Zenit are unbeaten in the league since September 2019 (W17 D4) and haven’t been on the losing end of a result at home since December 2018 (W17 D5).

 

Zenit Vs CSKA Moscow – Key Facts

  • Across the previous two seasons, Zenit have tasted defeat on just one occasion at home (30 games: W23 D6 L1).
  • It is now one defeat in their last nine Premier League matches for CSKA Moscow (W6 D2 L1), winning three of their previous four away from home.
  • Not since April 2011 have CSKA Moscow registered an away win over Zenit in the Premier League (D4 L5), though three of the last four visits would return a draw.

 

CSKA have shown enough in their early displays, coupled with their consistency towards the back end of last season, to suggest the current Russian champs may not have it all their own way. Furthermore, Zenit have only beaten CSKA Moscow once at home in the past four seasons, three of which ended all-square. Both have netted precisely two goals in their opening two matches and I suspect the goals could keep on coming.

Best Betting Odds – Zenit Vs CSKA Moscow

Zenit – 7/10 (BetVictor)
Draw – 13/5 (Betway)
CSKA Moscow – 9/2 (Bet365)